Steve Fox (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Fox (born 17 February 1958) is an English
former professional
footballer who played as a winger. He made 278 appearances in the Football League
playing for Birmingham City
, Wrexham, Port Vale
and Chester City
.
, Staffordshire
. He began his football career as a schoolboy with Aston Villa
before playing for local club Tamworth F.C.
He joined Birmingham City
as an apprentice in 1975, signing professional forms in February 1976. He made his Football League debut a year later, as a substitute
in a 2–1 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion
in the First Division
. Despite The Times
reporter's view in April 1978 that "Fox looks a fine prospect", the player was unable to hold down a regular first-team place, and joined Second Division
club Wrexham in December the same year.
He spent nearly four years with Wrexham, during which time he helped the club to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup
on two occasions and scored in the final of the Welsh Cup
in 1979, in which Wrexham lost to Shrewsbury Town
on aggregate. He also played and scored for the club in the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 2008, the sports editor of the Wrexham Evening Leader
selected Fox as a substitute in his "greatest Wrexham team ever".
Fox joined Port Vale
in October 1982. He was a regular first-team player in 1982–83
and was included in the PFA
select Fourth Division
team for that season. He also was a regular the following season
, but issued a transfer request and left on a free transfer. He made 82 appearances for the club (74 in the league) and scored six league goals.
Fox played for Chester City
in seasons 1984–85 and 1985–86, although he would not feature for the club again after the opening game of the latter campaign against Halifax Town
.
This marked the end of his professional career and he moved into non-league football
with Rhyl
, Llangollen and former club Tamworth.
with Wrexham
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
former professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
footballer who played as a winger. He made 278 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Wrexham, Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
and Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
.
Playing career
Fox was born in TamworthTamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He began his football career as a schoolboy with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
before playing for local club Tamworth F.C.
Tamworth F.C.
Tamworth Football Club are an English semi-professional football club based in the town of Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nicknamed 'The Lambs', they are currently members of the Conference National, the fifth highest tier in the English league system....
He joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as an apprentice in 1975, signing professional forms in February 1976. He made his Football League debut a year later, as a substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
in a 2–1 defeat away 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...
in 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....
. Despite The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reporter's view in April 1978 that "Fox looks a fine prospect", the player was unable to hold down a regular first-team place, and joined 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...
club Wrexham in December the same year.
He spent nearly four years with Wrexham, during which time he helped the club to reach the quarter-finals of 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...
on two occasions and scored in the final of the Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
in 1979, in which Wrexham lost to Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
on aggregate. He also played and scored for the club in the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 2008, the sports editor of the Wrexham Evening Leader
Wrexham Evening Leader
The Leader is a daily paper in the United Kingdom distributed on week mornings. It combines local and national news in order to create a morning newspaper....
selected Fox as a substitute in his "greatest Wrexham team ever".
Fox joined Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in October 1982. He was a regular first-team player in 1982–83
1982–83 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1982–83 season was Port Vale's seventy-first season of football in the Football League, and their fifth successive season in the Fourth Division. John McGrath led the Vale to a club-record 88 points , which saw them win promotion in third place...
and was included in the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
select 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...
team for that season. He also was a regular the following season
1983–84 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1983–84 season was Port Vale's seventy-second season of football in the Football League, and first back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. The club suffered a horrendous start, and John McGrath lost his job before Christmas; he was replaced by his...
, but issued a transfer request and left on a free transfer. He made 82 appearances for the club (74 in the league) and scored six league goals.
Fox played for Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in seasons 1984–85 and 1985–86, although he would not feature for the club again after the opening game of the latter campaign against Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
.
This marked the end of his professional career and he moved into non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Rhyl
Rhyl F.C.
Rhyl Football Club is a Welsh football club, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1882 and the team plays its home matches at Belle Vue, Rhyl, which can accommodate 3,000 spectators.- History :Few clubs in the Welsh Premier League have as distinguished a past as Rhyl's...
, Llangollen and former club Tamworth.
Honours
Individual- PFA Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe 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...
Team of the YearPFA Team of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
: 1982–831982–83 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 1982–83 season was Port Vale's seventy-first season of football in the Football League, and their fifth successive season in the Fourth Division. John McGrath led the Vale to a club-record 88 points , which saw them win promotion in third place...
with Wrexham
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
runners-up: 1979