Joseph Benjamin Clulow was born on February 4, 1900 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He learned to play soccer in Belfast. He emigrated to Canada in March 1920.
Joe started to make his mark on a national level when he played for Ulster United in the 1924 Inter-City League.
The Brooklyn Citizen described him as the best half back in Canada in 1926. He played for the Canadian National Team against the United States in November 1926.
Joe had decided to retire after the 1928 season but changed his mind and led the Redhanders through the 1929 season.
Joe joined Holly Carburetors in Detroit in September 1929. The Detroit Free Press described him as the best “center-half in Canada”.
He then spent the winter of 1929-1930 playing with the New Bedford Wahlers. He played in fifteen league games and scored one goal in the American Soccer League.
When he returned to Toronto he joined the Canadian National Railways team.
Joe went to Northern Ontario in 1933 and joined the McIntyre Mines club.
He returned to Toronto in February 1935 and signed for British Consols. He led his new club to a third place finish in the Western Section final standings. The Consols won the Ontario Cup and the British Consols Cup in the 1935 season.
Joe spent the winter of 1935-1936 playing with Cleveland Slavia.
In 1936 British Consols lost in the National Soccer League Western play-offs to Ulster United.
Joe probably had his finest hour when he led the British Consols team to win the Lord Atholstan Trophy in 1937. After the season Joe retired from soccer.
During his career Joe turned down offers to play for West Ham United and Aberdeen.
After his retirement he worked as maintenance man for the Toronto Board of Education.
Joe passed away on November 10, 1975 in Scarborough, Ontario, of cancer.