Freddie Cox
Encyclopedia
Frederick James Arthur "Freddie" Cox DFC
(1 November 1920 – 7 August 1973) was an English
football
player and manager.
Born in Reading
, Berkshire
, Cox signed as an 18-year-old for Tottenham Hotspur
in 1938. A tricky and talented winger
who usually played on the right, he made his Spurs debut in a Second Division
match against Swansea Town in November 1938. However, soon after he broke into the first team, the Second World War broke out and all competitive football was suspended. Cox served as a fighter
pilot for the Royal Air Force
(while in his spare time guesting for his hometown club Reading
), and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
. After peace broke out, Cox returned to Spurs and played another three seasons for them before moving to their North London
rivals Arsenal
for £12,000 in September 1949.
Cox made his Arsenal debut straight away, on 7 September 1949 against West Bromwich Albion
and became an immediate regular in the Arsenal side. Cox's efforts were most evident in the FA Cup
. In the semi-final, against Chelsea
, Cox scored the first goal in a 2-2 draw, and went on to score the only goal in Arsenal's 1-0 victory in the replay. In the final, against Liverpool
, Cox laid on a cross for Reg Lewis
to score the only goal of the game, winning the Cup for Arsenal.
Two years later, Arsenal again played Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals, and again Cox proved crucial – he scored Arsenal's goal in a 1-1 draw, and in the replay he scored twice as Arsenal ran out 3-0 winners. However, the 1952 final was not to be a repeat of two years earlier; against Newcastle United
, an injury-ravaged Arsenal side playing most of the match with ten men (after Walley Barnes
was stretchered off) lost 1-0.
Despite these cup exploits Cox was never an ever-present in the Arsenal side; he first faced competition from Ian McPherson
for the right-wing spot, and then the talented youngster Arthur Milton
. After only managing nine matches in the 1952-53
season for Arsenal he sought pastures new and was transferred to West Bromwich Albion
to become player-coach. In all he played 94 matches for Arsenal, scoring 16 goals.
Cox only played four matches for the Baggies but remained in the coaching staff as assistant to Vic Buckingham
. In 1956 he moved on to Third Division South
side Bournemouth
to become manager; Bournemouth fare reasonably steadily in the league, and pulled off a giant-killing feat in beating Spurs in the FA Cup in 1956-57
. In 1958 he moved along the coast to become Portsmouth
's manager; here he was less successful as Portsmouth were relegated from the First Division
in his first season, and Cox was sacked in February 1961.
After a spell out of football, Cox took up the reins at Fourth Division
Gillingham
in 1962, and had an immediate impact, taking a side that had finished 20th the previous season up to fifth place (missing out on a promotion place on goal average). Cox's Gillingham side became renowned for their defensive discipline and unadventurous style, and the following season, 1963-64
, Cox's Gillingham finished top and won promotion to the Third Division
. The next season they started well and looked set to win a second successive promotion before slumping late on and finishing seventh. Cox resigned just before Christmas
1965 and rejoined his old club Bournemouth, who were also in the Third Division. After finishing as high as fourth in 1968-69
, Bournemouth were relegated in 1969-70
after his old club Gillingham won on the last day of the season, condemning the Cherries to the drop instead. Cox was sacked that summer and never worked in football again. He died in 1973, aged 52.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(1 November 1920 – 7 August 1973) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and manager.
Born in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, Cox signed as an 18-year-old for Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in 1938. A tricky and talented winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
who usually played on the right, he made his Spurs debut in a Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
match against Swansea Town in November 1938. However, soon after he broke into the first team, the Second World War broke out and all competitive football was suspended. Cox served as a fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilot for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(while in his spare time guesting for his hometown club Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
), and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. After peace broke out, Cox returned to Spurs and played another three seasons for them before moving to their North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
rivals Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
for £12,000 in September 1949.
Cox made his Arsenal debut straight away, on 7 September 1949 against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and became an immediate regular in the Arsenal side. Cox's efforts were most evident in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. In the semi-final, against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Cox scored the first goal in a 2-2 draw, and went on to score the only goal in Arsenal's 1-0 victory in the replay. In the final, against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Cox laid on a cross for Reg Lewis
Reg Lewis
Reginald "Reg" Lewis was an English footballer.Born in Bilston, Staffordshire, Lewis spent his entire career at Arsenal. He joined the club as a schoolboy in 1935, and scored on his debut against Everton on January 1, 1938. He made only four appearances in 1937-38, however, and as a result missed...
to score the only goal of the game, winning the Cup for Arsenal.
Two years later, Arsenal again played Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals, and again Cox proved crucial – he scored Arsenal's goal in a 1-1 draw, and in the replay he scored twice as Arsenal ran out 3-0 winners. However, the 1952 final was not to be a repeat of two years earlier; against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, an injury-ravaged Arsenal side playing most of the match with ten men (after Walley Barnes
Walley Barnes
Walley Barnes was a Welsh footballer and broadcaster. He played for Arsenal, being part of their championship-winning side in 1947-48, and he captained the Welsh national side.-Early career:...
was stretchered off) lost 1-0.
Despite these cup exploits Cox was never an ever-present in the Arsenal side; he first faced competition from Ian McPherson
Ian McPherson
Ian Buchanan McPherson was a Scottish football player.A native of Glasgow, McPherson first joined Rangers as a youth player, although World War II intervened during the early part of his career, and all competitive football was suspended. McPherson left Rangers to serve in the RAF, and was awarded...
for the right-wing spot, and then the talented youngster Arthur Milton
Arthur Milton
Clement Arthur Milton was an English cricketer and footballer. He played County cricket for Gloucestershire from 1948 to 1974, playing six Test matches for England in 1958 and 1959. He also played domestic football for Arsenal between 1951 and 1955, and then for a brief period for Bristol City...
. After only managing nine matches in the 1952-53
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
season for Arsenal he sought pastures new and was transferred to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
to become player-coach. In all he played 94 matches for Arsenal, scoring 16 goals.
Cox only played four matches for the Baggies but remained in the coaching staff as assistant to Vic Buckingham
Vic Buckingham
Victor Frederick Buckingham was an English footballer whose approach as a manager was a precursor of the Total Football philosophy....
. In 1956 he moved on to Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
side Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
to become manager; Bournemouth fare reasonably steadily in the league, and pulled off a giant-killing feat in beating Spurs in the FA Cup in 1956-57
1956-57 in English football
The 1956–57 season was the 77th season of competitive football in England.Manchester United won the First Division to become English football champions for the fifth time. Tottenham Hotspur were runners-up. In the Second Division it was Leicester City who finished in top spot, ahead of East...
. In 1958 he moved along the coast to become Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
's manager; here he was less successful as Portsmouth were relegated from the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in his first season, and Cox was sacked in February 1961.
After a spell out of football, Cox took up the reins at Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in 1962, and had an immediate impact, taking a side that had finished 20th the previous season up to fifth place (missing out on a promotion place on goal average). Cox's Gillingham side became renowned for their defensive discipline and unadventurous style, and the following season, 1963-64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
, Cox's Gillingham finished top and won promotion to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
. The next season they started well and looked set to win a second successive promotion before slumping late on and finishing seventh. Cox resigned just before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1965 and rejoined his old club Bournemouth, who were also in the Third Division. After finishing as high as fourth in 1968-69
1968-69 in English football
The 1968–69 season was the 89th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
, Bournemouth were relegated in 1969-70
1969-70 in English football
The 1969–70 season was the 90th season of competitive football in England.-First Division:Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth...
after his old club Gillingham won on the last day of the season, condemning the Cherries to the drop instead. Cox was sacked that summer and never worked in football again. He died in 1973, aged 52.