Name Don Fox | ||
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Died August 21, 2008, Wakefield, United Kingdom | ||
96 Don Fox
Don Fox (15 October 1935 – 21 August 2008) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, for Featherstone Rovers, and Wakefield Trinity.
Contents
- 96 Don Fox
- Don fox rugby league challenge cup final 1968 leeds 11 wakefield trinity10
- International honours
- County honours
- Championship Final appearances
- Challenge Cup Final appearances
- County Cup Final appearances
- Drop goals field goals
- Testimonial match
- Honoured at Featherstone Rovers
- Death
- References
He was born in Sharlston, near Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was 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 Rovers' history, having enjoyed 13 years at Featherstone Rovers (Captain) (Heritage № 348), before joining Wakefield Trinity (Heritage № 710) in 1965 for £3,000 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £98,750 in 2013). Don Fox earned his début for Featherstone Rovers as a scrum-half/halfback on Wednesday 9 September 1953. A gifted player, he broke the Featherstone Rovers' 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.
Don fox rugby league challenge cup final 1968 leeds 11 wakefield trinity10
International honours
Don Fox won a cap for Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers in 1963 against Australia (1-try, 2-goals).
Don Fox also represented Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers between 1952 and 1956 against France (1 non-Test match).
Don Fox was selected for Great Britain while at Featherstone Rovers for the 1962 Great Britain RL tour of Australia and New Zealand.
County honours
Don Fox won caps for Yorkshire while at Featherstone Rovers; during the 1956–57 season against Cumberland, and Lancashire, and during the 1958–59 season against and Lancashire, he also won a cap(s) for Yorkshire while at Wakefield Trinity.
Championship Final appearances
Don Fox played loose forward/lock in Wakefield Trinity's 21-9 victory over St. Helens in the Championship Final replay during the 1966–67 season at Station Road, Swinton on Wednesday 10 May 1967, and played right-prop, i.e. number 10, and scored a goal in the 17-10 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Championship Final during the 1967–68 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 4 May 1968.
Challenge Cup Final appearances
Don Fox played right-prop, i.e. number 10, and scored 2-conversions in Wakefield Trinity's 10-11 defeat by Leeds in the 1968 Challenge Cup "Watersplash" Final during the 1967–68 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1968, in front of a crowd of 87,100. The 1968 Challenge Cup Final was played on a waterlogged pitch, the score was 11-7 to Leeds when Ken Hirst scored a try under the posts for Wakefield Trinity with the final play of the game. Tries were worth three points at that time, making the score 11-10, but a simple 2-point conversion was all that was needed to give Wakefield an unassailable one-point lead, and win the game. Wakefield Trinity fans were jubilant as the conversion from in front of the posts is by far the easiest kick in rugby league, he had already scored two more difficult conversions in the game, and he was such a prolific kicker that it realistically should have presented no problem. However, the waterlogged 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. Commentator Eddie Waring said of Fox, 'He's a poor lad', a remark which became a widely quoted piece of commentary. 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 the trophy was any consolation and replied "not really, no". The boots he was wearing during the game are now on display at Wakefield Museum.
County Cup Final appearances
Don Fox played scrum-half/halfback, and scored a try in Featherstone Rovers' 15-14 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 31 October 1959, and played scrum-half/halfback in Featherstone Rovers' 0-10 defeat by Halifax in the 1963 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1963–64 season at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Saturday 2 November 1963.
Drop-goals (field-goals)
Don 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.
Testimonial match
Don Fox's benefit season/testimonial match at Featherstone Rovers took place during the 1963–64 season.
Honoured at Featherstone Rovers
Don Fox is a Featherstone Rovers Hall of Fame inductee.
Death
Don Fox died in a hospital in Wakefield, England on 21 August 2008.