Geoff Cox (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey "Geoff" Cox is an English
former professional footballer who scored 65 goals in 296 appearances in the Football League
playing for Birmingham City
and Torquay United
.
Cox was born in the Stockingford district of Nuneaton
, Warwickshire
. He began his football career as a youngster with Birmingham City
in 1950, and turned professional at the end of the following year. A winger
, Cox made his debut in the Football League Second Division
on 27 August 1952 in a 1–0 win at Luton Town
, and played in more than half of the games in the 1952–53 season. He was then called up for National Service
; by the time he returned, Gordon Astall
and Alex Govan
were established on the wings. He remained with Birmingham as cover, and played in their early matches in the inaugural staging of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
, including in their first match in European competition, a goalless draw against Internazionale
in Milan
in May 1956 while Astall was away on England international
duty.
In December 1957 Cox moved to Torquay United
, then playing in the Third Division South
. In a ten-year career he scored 62 goals in 261 league games and twice contributed to Torquay's promotion
from the Fourth Division
back to the Third. The club awarded him a benefit match against West Ham United
at the end of the 1967–68 season. After leaving Torquay he wound down his football career with Bridgwater Town
of the Western League
.
Cox's son Maurice
is a former professional footballer who played for Torquay United and Huddersfield Town
.
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...
former professional footballer who scored 65 goals in 296 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...
and Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
.
Cox was born in the Stockingford district of Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. He began his football career as a youngster with 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...
in 1950, and turned professional at the end of the following year. A winger
Outside forward
Outside forward is a position in association football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
, Cox made his debut in the Football League 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...
on 27 August 1952 in a 1–0 win at Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, and played in more than half of the games in the 1952–53 season. He was then called up for National Service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
; by the time he returned, Gordon Astall
Gordon Astall
Gordon Astall is a former English professional footballer. He played as an outside right and represented the Football League, the England B team and played twice for the full England side. At club level he made over 450 appearances in the Football League.Astall was born in Horwich, near Bolton,...
and Alex Govan
Alex Govan
Alexander "Alex" Govan is a Scottish former professional footballer who played at outside left. Most of his career was spent with Plymouth Argyle and with Birmingham City during their most successful period in the 1950s...
were established on the wings. He remained with Birmingham as cover, and played in their early matches in the inaugural staging of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition was the idea of Swiss pools supremo Ernst Thommen, Ottorino Barassi from Italy, and the English Football Association general secretary Stanley Rous, all of whom later became senior officials...
, including in their first match in European competition, a goalless draw against Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in May 1956 while Astall was away on England international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
duty.
In December 1957 Cox moved to Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
, then playing in the 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....
. In a ten-year career he scored 62 goals in 261 league games and twice contributed to Torquay's promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the 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...
back to the Third. The club awarded him a benefit match against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at the end of the 1967–68 season. After leaving Torquay he wound down his football career with Bridgwater Town
Bridgwater Town F.C.
Bridgwater Town Football Club are a football club from Bridgwater, Somerset, England. The original version of the club was founded in 1898. They currently play in the Southern League Division One South and West. The club plays their home games at Fairfax Park...
of the Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
.
Cox's son Maurice
Maurice Cox
Maurice Cox was a former professional footballer who played as a striker for Torquay United & Huddersfield Town...
is a former professional footballer who played for Torquay United and Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
.