An Interview with…Neil Cox
I understand that when you were at Scunthorpe United, you took part in first-team training at the age of 13. That must have been a great foundation to your career?
I lived next to the Old Showground, so I would go and watch them train.
I just started to fetch the balls for them and they just asked me to join in.
You joined First Division Aston Villa in 1991. What was it like to make the jump up the divisions?
I only played seventeen league games for Scunthorpe before the move came up. It was a massive jump up for me but the players made me very welcome.
You were in and out of the first-team during your three years at Villa Park. You did play in the 1994 League Cup Final win over Manchester United though. What do you remember of that day?
I was a substitute in the League Cup Final and came on with about 25 minutes left to go. The team all played well that day and we deserved to win the game. We all partied for a couple of weeks after!
You became the first million pound signing for Middlesbrough that summer. What made you want to take the step down to the First Division?
I just wanted to play regular first team football. When Bryan Robson rang me to tell me he was going to Middlesbrough, I just wanted to be a part of it. Being the first million pound player didn’t really affect me, but more people talk about it now.
Middlesbrough won promotion in your first season, in what was the last to be played at Ayresome Park. What do you remember of those last few days at Ayresome Park?
I loved Ayresome Park and played there loads of times before I signed there. Middlesbrough made some great signings that summer, adding to a good squad of players already there.
The ground was full for our first game at the Riverside and was for every game until the end of season. There was a great atmosphere there.
In your second season, Middlesbrough signed Juninho. He became something of a cult-hero in his time at the club. What was it like when he joined?
When Juninho joined, he, Higgy (Craig Hignett) and Nick Barmby all fitted into the way we played. We became a good team going forward but everybody worked hard for the team to defend.
That 1996/97 season was arguably the most turbulent of the club’s history. The club were relegated from the Premier League and reached both FA Cup and League Cup Finals. What are your memories of that season?
I have loads of great memories of that season, especially of the cup runs that we went on. Players started to look after themselves and we ended up with great players but not a great team. Teams win games, not individuals. We should have won the League Cup against Leicester and I think that the season would have been different if we had.
I read that you had a bit of an altercation with Fabrizio Ravanelli on the morning of the FA Cup Final and were dropped as a result. What happened there? Was this the biggest regret of your career?
There’s not a lot to say about the Rav situation. It should have been sorted a long time before.
After a spell at Bolton, you reached the Play-Off Final but lost to Watford. What do you remember of your time there?
I had a great time a Bolton, it’s such a family club. We got relegated in my first year on goal difference. We had a goal that was not given in a game against Everton on Sky TV.
The ball had gone two yards over the line and we ended up going down to Everton on goal difference, which was so unfair.
I ended up going to Watford after the Play-Off Final and they were so much out of their depths in the Premier League.
You had quite an eventful time at Watford! Under Gianluca Vialli, you had to train with the Youth Team. Why was this?
I did not get on with Graham Taylor one bit. When he left, he told Luca that I was a bad influence around the place, so Luca put me on the transfer list. Eight weeks later I was captain of the club and Luca invited me around to his home to apologise on what had happened!
After ending your career at Crewe Alexandra via Cardiff City, you managed Leek Town and AFC Wimbledon. What was it like being a manager?
I had one year at Cardiff and had a great time at the club. Cardiff really looked after all their players. I ended up going to Crewe for a couple of years just to see my career out.
After my career ended, I became the Manager of Leek Town for about four or five months. I loved it there and had a great Chairman who really helped me out.
I finally went to AFC Wimbledon as the Assistant Manager, where we stayed up on the last game of the season. I ended staying there for six years and we worked wonders by moving that club forward.
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