Background
Box was born in Hanley, Staffordshire, the son of Thomas, a boilermaker, and Edna.
Box was born in Hanley, Staffordshire, the son of Thomas, a boilermaker, and Edna.
He made more than 100 appearances in the Football League playing for Burslem Portuguese Vale, Stoke and Birmingham. He also played for Croydon Common and Crewe Alexandra. He was on the books at Hanley Villa, Northwood Mission and Stoke (without making a first team appearance), before joining Burslem Portuguese Vale in August 1904.
He played three Second Division games in the 1904-1905 season, but was mainly a back-up to Harry Cotton.
He became the club"s first choice goalkeeper in the 1905-1906 season, playing 35 league games to George Boote"s three. In the 1906-1907 campaign, he played only 12 matches, as new signing Howard Matthews was preferred.
Box returned to Stoke in July 1907, with Vale in the midst of financial meltdown. Box played in 39 of the club"s 44 fixtures in 1907-1908, as the "Potters" finished in 10th position in the Second Division.
However heavy financial problems saw the club enter liquidation and leave the Football League at the end of the 1907-1908 season.
He joined Birmingham in September 1909 for a fee of £100, and took over first-team duties from Jack Dorrington at the end of the 1908-1909 season. However, the team finished bottom of the Second Division and Box left Street Andrew"s at the end of the 1909-1910 season. He then moved into non-League football with Leek Victoria, Croydon Common, for whom he played 21 games in the Southern League as well as 29 in the South-Eastern League and 11 in the London League, and Crewe Alexandra.