Peter Fox (rugby league, born 1933)

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Peter Fox
Personal information
Born(1933-03-30)30 March 1933
Sharlston, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died25 February 2019(2019-02-25) (aged 85)[1]
Playing information
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1953–57 Featherstone Rovers 34 1 15 0 33
1957–63 Batley 148 12 70 0 176
1962–63 Hull Kingston Rovers 28 3 1 0 11
1963–64 Hunslet 2 0 0 0 0
1964–66 Batley 32 1 33 0 69
1966–67 Wakefield Trinity 1 0 0 0 0
Total 245 17 119 0 289
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1971–74 Featherstone 111 70 4 37 63
1974–76 Wakefield Trinity 60 29 5 26 48
1976–77 Bramley 26 19 0 7 73
1977–85 Bradford Northern 239 147 9 83 62
1985–86 Leeds 43 21 3 19 49
1987–91 Featherstone
1991–95 Bradford Northern
Total 479 286 21 172 60
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1977 England 2 0 0 2 0
1978 Great Britain 3 1 0 2 33
1985–91 Yorkshire 8 8 0 0 100
Source: [2][3]

Peter Fox (30 March 1933 – 25 February 2019) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He was the brother of Don and Neil Fox, and together they formed one of the legendary rugby league families.

Career[edit]

He had a 13-year playing career with; Sharlston Rovers, Featherstone Rovers (Heritage № 349),[4] Batley, Hull Kingston Rovers (Heritage №), Hunslet and Wakefield Trinity (Heritage № 723), he became one of British rugby league's most successful coaches.

Peter Fox was the coach in Featherstone Rovers' 33-14 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1973 Challenge Cup Final during the 1972–73 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 12 May 1973, in front of a crowd of 72,395, and was the coach in the 9-24 defeat by Warrington in the 1974 Challenge Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1974, in front of a crowd of 77,400.

Bramley won promotion to Division One, under Peter Fox in the 1976-77 season.

He coached Great Britain and England, which included beating the Australians in 1978.

He coached Bradford Northern in two spells one in 1977 where he had a very successful spell winning the championship in 1979-80 and 1980-81.

He returned to Bradford Northern for a second spell in 1991, and in the 1993-94 season Bradford Northern finish as runners-up in the Championship behind Wigan on points difference. He left the club in 1995.

Fox also coached Yorkshire in the Rodstock War of the Roses series, winning all six games played against Lancashire between 1985 and 1991.[5][6]

Fox appears to have scored no drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia), but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions, penalties, or drop-goals, scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented, therefore '0' drop-goals may indicate drop-goals not recorded, rather than no drop-goals scored.

Honoured at Featherstone Rovers[edit]

Peter Fox is a Featherstone Rovers Hall of Fame inductee.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Towering rugby league coach Peter Fox, dies". Wakefield Express. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. ^ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter (2008). Peter Fox: the players' coach. London League. ISBN 9781903659397. OCLC 230213110.
  3. ^ RL Record Keepers' Club
  4. ^ Bailey, Ron (1956). The Official History Of Featherstone Rovers R.L.F.C.. Wakefield Express. ASIN: B00O1TLDPC
  5. ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (18 September 1991). "Fox in pursuit of sixth win". The Guardian. London. p. 17. ProQuest 187193747.
  6. ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (19 September 1991). "Ashton on the trail". The Guardian. London. p. 17. ProQuest 187277308.
  7. ^ "Featherstone Rovers legends added to Hall of Fame". pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

External links[edit]