- Don Fox
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For other people named Donald Fox, see Donald Fox (disambiguation).
Don Fox (15 October 1935 in Sharlston, near Wakefield, Yorkshire and died 21 August 2008) was an English rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s for Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity. He is the brother of Peter and Neil Fox, and together they formed one of the legendary rugby league families. Don holds the Featherstone Rovers record for tries scored (162) and is third on their all-time goal-kicking charts with 503 in 369 appearances, itself the 7th most in Featherstone history,[1] having enjoyed 13 years at the club before joining Wakefield in 1965 for £3000[2] (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £90,100 in 2009).[3] Don Fox earned his début for Featherstone as a Scrum-half/Halfback in 1953. A gifted player, he broke the club's record points scored in a season the next winter and was called up for England's game against France. He was an outstanding kicker, scoring 12 goals in a Challenge Cup victory against Stanningley in 1964. He was understudy to Alex Murphy on the 1962 Lions tour of Australasia and then moved to Loose forward/Lock where he earned his sole Test cap for Great Britain against Australia in 1963. He joined Wakefield in 1965, linking up with his young brother Neil and they enjoyed great success with Trinity. After he retired from playing the game in 1970, he coached Batley before becoming a safety joiner in the South Yorkshire coalfield.
Contents
International honours
Don Fox won a cap for Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers in 1963 against Australia (1-try, 2-goals).[4]
Don Fox also represented Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers between 1952 and 1956 against France (1 non-Test match).[5]
Rugby Football League Championship Final Appearances
Don Fox played Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 13, in Wakefield Trinity's 21-9 victory over St Helens RLFC in the 1966-67 Rugby Football League Championship final at Station Road, Swinton on 10 May 1967, and played Tighthead Prop Forward, i.e. number 10, and scored a goal in the 17-10 victory over Hull KR in the 1967-68 Rugby Football League Championship final at Headingley Stadium on 4 May 1968. [6]
Challenge Cup final appearances
Fox enjoyed a glittering career but is probably best remembered for his escapades during the famous 1968 'watersplash' Challenge Cup final between Wakefield and Leeds. In atrocious conditions at Wembley, the score was 11-7 to Leeds when Ken Hirst scored under the posts for Wakefield with the final play of the game. As tries were only worth three points at that time, the simple conversion was needed to give Wakefield a one-point lead and win the game. Wakefield fans were jubilant as the conversion from in front of the posts is by far the easiest kick in rugby league and Fox was such a prolific kicker that it realistically should have presented no problem. However, the saturated, sodden state of the pitch made this a more difficult proposition, and Fox lost his footing and sliced the ball wide of the posts. The final whistle was blown immediately afterwards, giving Leeds a dramatic one-point victory. This incident was immortalised for the millions watching on television by legendary commentator Eddie Waring's reaction at the time: 'He's a poor lad'. Fox had already been chosen to win the Lance Todd Trophy for his performance in the match, but he was disconsolate and trudged off the pitch (interviewed by David Coleman on television later, he was asked if it was any consolation and famously replied "not really, no").[7] Folklore states that Waring took Fox to Featherstone's Post Office Road ground the day after and he kicked several conversions in his carpet slippers.
Testimonial match
Don Fox's Testimonial match at Featherstone Rovers took place in 1963.
Death
Don Fox died in a hospital in Wakefield, England on 21 August 2008 following a long illness.[8]
References
- ^ Btinternet.com
- ^ "Sporting Bygones: Golden days of the Sixties when Wakefield ruled the roost…". yorkshirepost.co.uk. 2011-07-25. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-trinity/sporting_bygones_golden_days_of_the_sixties_when_wakefield_ruled_the_roost_before_loyal_trinity_fans_rallied_round_in_support_of_forlorn_finalist_fox_1_3612905. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ^ "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 2003-04-23. http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
- ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 2008-12-31. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Don_Fox/summary.html. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ^ Edgar, Harry (2007). Rugby League Journal Annual 2008 Page-110. Rugby League Journal Publishing. ISBN 0-9548355-3-0
- ^ Hoole, Les (2004). Wakefield Trinity RLFC - FIFTY GREAT GAMES. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-429-9
- ^ Blogspot.com
- ^ BBC News
External links
- Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
- SportsFile: Caught in Time: Leeds win the Challenge Cup, 1968
- Obituary in The Telegraph
- Obituary in The Times
- Obituary in The Independent
- Obituary in The Guardian
- Rugby League Final 1968
Lance Todd Trophy winners 1946 Billy Stott • 1947 Willie Davies • 1948 Frank Whitcombe • 1949 Ernest Ward • 1950 Gerry Helme • 1951 Cecil Mountford • 1952 Billy Ivison • 1953 Peter Ramsden • 1954 Gerry Helme • 1955 John "Jack" Grundy • 1956 Alan Prescott • 1957 Jeff Stevenson • 1958 Rees Thomas • 1959 Brian McTigue • 1960 Tommy Harris • 1961 Dick Huddart • 1962 Neil Fox • 1963 Harold Poynton • 1964 Frank Collier • 1965 Ray Ashby & Brian Gabbitas • 1966 Len Killeen • 1967 Carl Dooler • 1968 Don Fox • 1969 Mal Reilly • 1970 Bill Kirkbride • 1971 Alex Murphy • 1972 Kel Coslett • 1973 Steve Nash • 1974 Derek Whitehead • 1975 Ray Dutton • 1976 Geoff Pimblett • 1977 Steve Pitchford • 1978 George Nicholls • 1979 David Topliss • 1980 Brian Lockwood • 1981 Mick Burke • 1982 Eddie Cunningham • 1983 David Hobbs • 1984 Joe Lydon • 1985 Brett Kenny • 1986 Bob Beardmore • 1987 Graham Eadie • 1988 Andy Gregory • 1989 Ellery Hanley • 1990 Andy Gregory • 1991 Denis Betts • 1992 Martin Offiah • 1993 Dean Bell • 1994 Martin Offiah • 1995 Jason Robinson • 1996 Robbie Paul • 1997 Tommy Martyn • 1998 Mark Aston • 1999 Leroy Rivett • 2000 Henry Paul • 2001 Sean Long • 2002 Kris Radlinski • 2003 Gary Connolly • 2004 Sean Long • 2005 Kevin Sinfield • 2006 Sean Long • 2007 Paul Wellens & Leon Pryce • 2008 Paul Wellens • 2009 Michael Monaghan • 2010 Lee Briers • 2011 Jeff Lima
Categories:- 1935 births
- 2008 deaths
- English rugby league players
- Featherstone Rovers players
- Great Britain national rugby league team players
- People from Sharlston
- Rugby league halfbacks
- Rugby league locks
- Wakefield Trinity Wildcats players
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