Neil FoxMBE(born 4 May 1939) is an English former professionalrugby leaguefootballer andplayer-coachwho played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, andcoachedin the 1970s and 1980s.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 4 May 1939 Sharlston,England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 7 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Relatives | Don Fox(brother) Peter Fox(brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A left-footedgoal-kickingcentre,he set rugby league's all-time points record, scoring 6,220 points during his career.[5]The brother of fellow rugby league players,PeterandDon Fox,Neil played for Yorkshire clubsWakefield Trinity(two spells),Bradford Northern(two spells),Hull Kingston Rovers,York,BramleyandHuddersfield.[1][2][3]
Background
editFox was born inSharlston,West Riding of Yorkshire,England.[6]
He grew up supportingHuddersfield,and went on to sign forWakefield Trinityat 16 years of age.
Playing career
edit1950s
editIn 1956, Fox became the joint fifth youngest player to make his début forWakefield Trinity,aged 16 years and 3 months.[citation needed]Fox was selected forYorkshire County XIIIwhilst atWakefield Trinityduring the 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons.[7]Fox played as acentrein Wakefield Trinity's 17–12 victory overAustraliain a1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and Francematch atBelle Vue,Wakefieldon Monday 10 December 1956.[8]Fox scored 2goalsin Wakefield Trinity's 20–24 defeat byLeedsin the1958–59 Yorkshire CupFinal atOdsal Stadium,Bradfordon Saturday 18 October 1958 during the1958–59 season.He made his international début in 1959, playing forGreat Britain.
1960s
editFox played atcentreand scored twotries,and 7goalsin Wakefield Trinity's 38–5 victory overHull F.C.in the1959–60 Challenge CupFinal atWembley Stadium,Londonon 14 May 1960 in front of a crowd of 79,773. This was a new record for most points in a Challenge Cup Final. This feat was equalled byIestyn Harris(1 try and 8 goals) inLeeds Rhinos' victory over theLondon Broncosin the 1999Challenge CupFinal.[citation needed]The next week, Fox played as acentrein Wakefield Trinity's 3–27 defeat byWiganin the1959–60 Championship finalat Odsal Stadium on Saturday 21 May 1960.[9]
Fox playedcentre,and scored two tries and two goals, in the 16–10 victory overHuddersfieldin the1960–61 Yorkshire CupFinal during the1960–61 seasonatHeadingley,Leedson Saturday 29 October 1960.[10]The following year, he again played atcentreand scored 5 goals, in the 19–9 victory over Leeds in the1961–62 Yorkshire CupFinal at Odsal Stadium on Saturday 11 November 1961.
Fox won theLance Todd Trophyas man of the match in the1961–62 Challenge CupFinal. He scored a try and kicked 3drop-goalsin the 12–6 victory over Huddersfield at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 12 May 1962, in front of a crowd of 81,263. In 1962, Fox played in his only appearance forEngland.
Fox played as acentre,and scored 5 goals in the 25–10 victory overWiganin the1962–63 Challenge CupFinal on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492.[10]
Fox played as acentreand scored 2 tries and 3 goals in the 18–2 victory over Leeds in the1964–65 Yorkshire CupFinal atFartown,Huddersfieldon Saturday 31 October 1964.
Fox played atcentreand scored 3 goals in the 21–9 victory overSt. Helensin the1966-67 ChampionshipFinalreplayduring the1966–67 seasonatStation Road,Swintonon Wednesday 10 May 1967, scored a try and 2 goals the 17–10 victory overHull Kingston Roversin theChampionshipFinal during the1967-68 seasonatHeadingley,Leedson Saturday 4 May 1968.[10]1968 was the final year Fox played for Yorkshire, having made 17 appearances since his début in 1958.
Off the field, circa-1968, Fox owned aTurf accountant's business inGoldthorpe.[citation needed]He left Wakefield Trinity for the first time in 1969, joiningBradford Northern.In 1969 he played in his final international match for Great Britain.
1970s
editFox returned to Wakefield Trinity in 1970, where he moved toloose forwardand became the coach. He scored a goal in Wakefield Trinity's 11–22 defeat byHalifaxin the1971–72 Player's No.6 TrophyFinal at Odsal Stadium on Saturday 22 January 1972.
Fox coached Wakefield Trinity to a 2–7 defeat by Leeds in the1973–74 Yorkshire CupFinal at Odsal Stadium on Saturday 20 October 1973.[10]
He played second row in Wakefield Trinity's 13–16 loss to Hull in the1974–75 Yorkshire CupFinal atHeadingley,Leedson Saturday 26 October 1974. He was substituted during the match, despite scoring 2 goals.
For the 1974–75 season, Fox joinedHull Kingston Rovers.He won theWhite Rose Trophyas man of the match in Hull KR's 11–15 defeat by Leeds in the1975–76 Yorkshire Cupon Saturday 15 November 1975. Playing at right second row, Fox scored a try and kicked two goals during the match at Odsal Stadium.
Fox then briefly joinedYorkin 1976, before playing withBramleyin 1976–77. He then spent the 1977–78 season with Huddersfield before rejoining Bradford Northern.
During the1978–79 season,Fox played as asecond-row,and scored 3 goals in Bradford Northern's 18–8 victory over York in the1978–79 Yorkshire CupFinal atHeadingley,Leedson Saturday 28 October 1978. Fox holds the most goals inRFL Yorkshire CupFinals with 19, and the most points with 53 points.[citation needed]Fox,Alex MurphyandMark Forsterare the only British rugby league footballers to have had twoTestimonial matches.Fox's were both at Wakefield Trinity, in 1966 and 1979.[citation needed]
He wasplayer-coachofHuddersfield Underbank Rangers,and achieved a Holliday Cup and promotion double in 1981–82. Fox retired with the record for most points scored in Anglo-Australian test match history until overtaken byMal Meningain 1992.[11]
Post playing
editIn the1983 Birthday Honours,Fox was made amember of the Order of the British Empire(MBE) for his services to rugby league.[12]Fox was inducted into theRugby League Hall of Famein 1989. On 30 August 2005 Fox, along withBilly BostonandMick Sullivan,opened theRugby League Heritage Centre.
In 2005 his autobiography was published by London League Publications Ltd.[citation needed]
On Thursday 20 August 2009, at a ceremony atWheldon Road,the home ofCastleford,Fox was named as part of the "Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team" and had a bus named after him byArriva Yorkshire.[13]In 2010 he was awarded theFreedom of the Cityof Wakefield.[citation needed]TheWakefield Eastern Relief Road,opened in 2017, was named Neil Fox Way in his honour.[14]
Sources
edit- ^ab"Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org".rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^ab"England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk".englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^ab"Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk".englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^RL Record Keepers' Club
- ^"Rugby League Hall of Fame - Neil Fox".RLHallofFame.org.uk. 25 October 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2008.
- ^"Birth details at freebmd.org.uk".freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011.Retrieved1 January2012.
- ^Lindley, John (1960).Dreadnoughts - A HISTORY OF Wakefield Trinity F. C. 1873 - 1960 [Page118].John Lindley Son & Co Ltd. ISBN n/a
- ^Briggs, Cyril & Edwards, Barry (12 May 1962).The Rugby League Challenge Cup Competition - Final Tie - Huddersfield v Wakefield Trinity - Match Programme.Wembley Stadium Ltd. ISBN n/a
- ^"1959-1960 Championship Final".wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011.Retrieved1 January2012.
- ^abcdHoole, Les (2004).Wakefield Trinity RLFC - FIFTY GREAT GAMES.Breedon Books.ISBN1-85983-429-9
- ^Gallaway, Jack (2003).Origin: Rugby League's Greatest Contest 1980 - 2002.Australia:University of QueenslandPress. pp. 177–78.ISBN0-7022-3383-8.
- ^"No. 49375"(PDF).The London Gazette (Supplement).11 June 1983. p. B13.
- ^"Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team".Arriva Yorkshire. 20 August 2009.Retrieved20 August2009.
- ^Wakefield Council,Council asks residents to name new relief road: Press Release PR 8568,issued 2 June 2017, accessed 6 November 2018
External links
edit- (archived by web.archive.org)Neil Fox at rugbyleaguehistory.com
- Rugby League Cup Final 1960
- Wakefield Win Cup 1962
- Rugby League Final 1963