John "Jack" Boxley (31 May 1931 – March 2016) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as an outside left. He made over 290

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

appearances in the years after the Second World War.

Career

Jack Boxley played locally for Stourbridge F.C.

Pat Beasley Albert "Pat" Beasley (16 July 1913 – 27 February 1986) was an England international footballer who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League. He also became a manager. Football career Born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, Beasley be ...

signed Boxley in October 1950 from Stourbridge Town for

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...

for £2,000. Jack Boxley made his debut in the Third Division South at outside left for Bristol City in a 2–1 win v Newport County on 14 October 1950. He made 23 appearances scoring two goals in his first season with the "Robins" in 1950–51. After creating numerous goalscoring opportunities for City forwards

John Atyeo Peter John Walter Atyeo (7 February 1932 – 8 June 1993) was an English footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his career at Bristol City. He won six England caps between 1955 and 1957, scoring five goals. Atyeo made 645 a ...

and Arnold Rodgers, Jack Boxley and

Jimmy Rogers Jimmy Rogers (June 3, 1924December 19, 1997) was an American Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player, best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters's band in the early 1950s. He also had a solo career and recorded several popu ...

left Ashton Gate together to join

Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...

in December 1956. Boxley helped Coventry City gain promotion in season 1958–59 from the newly formed Fourth Division as runners up on goal difference from York City. Boxley returned to

from Coventry City in August 1960. Boxley had the distinction of scoring Bristol City's first ever goal in the

League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...

in October 1960 v Aldershot. Jack Boxley later played Western League football for Chippenham Town and Welton Rovers before playing for his final club

Bath City Bath City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset FA and currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club have ...

in the Southern League. After retiring from football Jack Boxley remained close to Ashton Gate working as a car salesman at Winterstoke Garage, just around the corner from the ground, for 34 years before retirement in March 1995. He died in March 2016.http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/johnson-hails-perfect-day-3019229.aspx

Honours

;with Bristol City *

Football League Third Division South The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to on ...

winner: 1954–55 ;with Coventry City *

Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name ...

runner up: 1958–59

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boxley, Jack 1931 births 2016 deaths Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands English footballers Association football wingers English Football League players Southern Football League players Western Football League players Stourbridge F.C. players Bristol City F.C. players Coventry City F.C. players Chippenham Town F.C. players Welton Rovers F.C. players Bath City F.C. players