Neil FoxMBE (born 4 May 1939) is an English former professional rugby league footballer and player-coach who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1970s and 1980s.
Fox won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match in the 1961–62 Challenge Cup Final. He scored a try and kicked 3 drop-goals in 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 for England.
Fox played as a centre, and scored 5 goals in the 25–10 victory over Wigan in the 1962–63 Challenge Cup Final on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492.[10]
Off the field, circa-1968, Fox owned a Turf accountant's business in Goldthorpe.[citation needed] He left Wakefield Trinity for the first time in 1969, joining Bradford Northern. In 1969 he played in his final international match for Great Britain.
1970s
Fox returned to Wakefield Trinity in 1970, where he moved to loose forward and became the coach. He scored a goal in Wakefield Trinity's 11–22 defeat by Halifax in the 1971–72 Player's No.6 Trophy Final at Odsal Stadium on Saturday 22 January 1972.
Fox coached Wakefield Trinity to a 2–7 defeat by Leeds in the 1973–74 Yorkshire Cup Final at Odsal Stadium on Saturday 20 October 1973.[10]
He played second row in Wakefield Trinity's 13–16 loss to Hull in the 1974–75 Yorkshire Cup Final at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 26 October 1974. He was substituted during the match, despite scoring 2 goals.
For the 1974–75 season, Fox joined Hull Kingston Rovers. He won the White Rose Trophy as man of the match in Hull KR's 11–15 defeat by Leeds in the 1975–76 Yorkshire Cup on 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 joined York in 1976, before playing with Bramley in 1976–77. He then spent the 1977–78 season with Huddersfield before rejoining Bradford Northern.
He was player-coach of Huddersfield 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 by Mal Meninga in 1992.[11]
^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