View source for Walter Cox (footballer, born 1863)

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}
{{other people||Walter Cox (disambiguation){{!}}Walter Cox}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name      = Walter Cox
| fullname = Walter Cox
| birth_date = 1863
| birth_place = Scotland
| death_date =
| position = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]]
| years1 =?–1888 | clubs1 = [[Leith Haro F.C.|Leith Harp]] | caps1 =  | goals1 =
| years2 = 1888–1890 | clubs2 = [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] | caps2 = 26 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1890 | clubs3 = [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] | caps3 = 4 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1890 | clubs4 = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0
}}
'''Walter Cox''' (born 1863), also credited as '''William Cox''',<ref>Simpson, p. 30</ref> was a Scottish professional [[association footballer]] who played as a [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]. He played a total of 30 matches in [[the Football League]] for [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] and [[Everton F.C.|Everton]].
==Playing career==
Cox started his career in his native Scotland with [[Leith Harp F.C.|Leith Harp]]<ref>{{cite journal |title=Edinburgh Consolation Cup Final Tie |journal=Lothian Courier |date=14 April 1888 |page=3}}</ref> before briefly joining [[Leith Athletic F.C.|Leith Athletic]] and then [[Football League]] side [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] midway through the 1888–89 season.<ref>Simpson, p. 485</ref> He was signed to replace [[Robert Kay (footballer)|Robert Kay]], who had just been released by the club. Cox made his Burnley debut on 10 November 1888 at Turf Moor, Burnley and he replaced [[Fred Poland]] as goalkeeper. The visitors were [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]. Cox played well and made some notable saves in the opening quarter-hour. Burnley took the lead after twenty minutes and only poor finishing prevented Burnley from having a larger lead at half-time. Burnley played well in the second half and got their second goal after 70 minutes. Burnley won 2–0 win and achieved their first clean sheet of the season.<ref name="p32">Simpson, p. 32</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Metcalf|first=Mark|title=The Origins of the Football League|year=2013|publisher=Amberley|isbn=978-1-4456-1881-4}}</ref>
Cox kept his place in the team for the remainder of the season, and he kept [[clean sheet]]s in wins against [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]], [[Derby County F.C.|Derby County]] and [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]. Cox also played in both FA Cup ties played in February 1889. He played 13 League matches and Burnley finished 9th in the League conceding 62 goals in 22 games, the second worst defence that season. However, Cox did improve the defence. In the opening nine games, before Cox was signed, Burnley conceded 38 goals from at a rate of 4.22 goals per game. From Cox making his debut until the end of the season, they conceded 24 goals in 13 games at a rate of 1.84 goals per game.<ref>{{cite web | title= English National Football Archive| first=| last=| url=http://www.enfa.co.uk//| accessdate=2018-01-10|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Cox remained the first choice goalkeeper into the 1889–90 season. The Burnley team suffered several heavy defeats while Cox played in goal, including a 1–7 loss away at [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] and a 1–9 defeat to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]].<ref name="p32"/> Cox played a total of 28 first-team matches for the club, conceding 80 goals during that time. He made his final appearance for Burnley on 4 January 1890 in the 1–4 loss to Derby County.<ref>Simpson, p. 36</ref>
Upon leaving Burnley, Cox signed for [[Everton F.C.|Everton]].<ref>[https://www.toffeeweb.com/season/14-15/comment/history/28767.html Well Qualified to Keep Goal for Everton], Tony Onslow, Toffeeweb, 26 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2022</ref> He made his debut for the club on 22 February 1890 in the 3–5 defeat away at [[Accrington F.C.|Accrington]].<ref name="profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.evertonfc.com/stats/?mode=player_details&player_id=160|title=Walter Cox player stats|publisher=Everton Football Club|accessdate=26 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123174618/http://www.evertonfc.com/stats/?mode=player_details&player_id=160|archive-date=23 November 2008}}</ref><ref name="fixtures">{{cite web|url=http://www.evertonfc.com/stats/?mode=season&era_id=1&season_id=3&seasons=3|title=Everton fixtures 1889–1890|publisher=Everton Football Club|accessdate=26 July 2010}}</ref> Cox then kept goal in home wins against West Bromwich Albion and Derby County before playing his final game for the club in the final match of the season, a 1–4 loss against West Bromwich Albion.<ref name="fixtures"/> He left Everton in the summer of 1890 and moved into [[non-league football]] with [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]].<ref name="profile"/><ref>[https://thecityground.com/player.php?player_name=Walter%20Cox Walter Cox], TheCityGround. Retrieved 14 March 2022</ref>
Cox played in goal for [[Leith Athletic F.C.|Leith Athletic]] in 1891 and [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Heart of Midlothian]] later in the 1890s (winning the [[Scottish Football League]] with Hearts in [[1894–95 Scottish Division One|1894–95]]).<ref>{{cite journal |title=League matches |journal=Lennox Herald |date=19 September 1891 |page=3}}  Refers to Cox - playing in goal for Leith Athletic - as "late [[Leith Harp F.C.|Leith Harp]], Burnley, &c. &c."</ref>
==References==
;General
*{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Joyce|title=Football League Players' Records 1888–1939|year=2004|location=Nottingham|publisher=SoccerData|isbn=1-899468-67-6}}
*{{cite book |first=Ray |last=Simpson |title=The Clarets Chronicles: The Definitive History of Burnley Football Club |location=Burnley |publisher=Burnley Football Club |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-9557468-0-2
}}
;Specific
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Walter}}
[[Category:1863 births]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Hibernian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Burnley F.C. players]]
[[Category:Everton F.C. players]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Football Alliance players]]