Former Middlesbrough full-back Neil Cox has been handed an Assistant Manager role at National League side York City where he will work with ex-colleague Neil Ardley.
The pair worked together at AFC Wimbledon and also Notts County and will reunite once again at The Community Stadium according to an official statement via the official York City Twitter site.
Cox also worked with another former Boro full-back Tony McMahon at Scunthorpe but took a couple of years away from the game in November 2021. He now insists that he is refreshed and raring to go in his new role. “It’s another big challenge for me, looking forward to coming back in.” said the former Boro man.
“We’ve worked together and had success at other clubs where we’ve been to, I can’t wait to get started.
“I know how the manager wants to play; we’ve been friends for a long time, but we’ve worked together a long time too.
“We’re here to try and do a really good job for this football club.”
Cox was one of Bryan Robson’s most significant early signings during the Riverside revolution. Robson-or ‘Capatain Marvel’ as most new him as then, shelled out a million pounds for the signature of the then Aston Villa right-back.
Boro fairy-tale promotion
It was Boro’s first million pound player and raised more than a few eye brows given that Boro were in the second tier of English football.
Little did he know, there was more to come in terms of lucrative transfers. In a previous interview with Planet Football, Cox offered some insight into the crazy period that saw Boro catapulted into the kind of footballing spheres they could once only dream of.
“As soon as I got up there, I knew it was the right place for me.” Recalled Cox.
“I had gone up there not knowing what the fee was. Obviously fees were changing and teams were paying more money, but it was still a shock and a big surprise for Boro that they were paying that much for a full-back.”
The full-back helped Boro to promotion during that season in 1994/95. They were due to move to their new fortress; the 34,000 seater Riverside Stadium the following season and so the pressure was on to secure a move to the Premier League. There was also the added jeapordy of only having one automatic promotion spot. But with some strong leadership and players like Robbo (player manager) and Nigel Pearson, they lifted the Division One trophy after a fairy-tale finale at Ayresome Park, beating Luton Town 2-1.
Cup final heart-break
Marauding full-back Cox enjoyed three seasons at Boro. He was a modern-day right-back ahead of his time. A player who loved to bomb forward in support of attacks, Cox suited Robson’s rather kamaikaze approach to matches, particularly after the arrival of superstars Juninho and Ravanelli. The million pound man wasn’t without the neccessary defensive aggression though, as the latter of those two players mentioned found out to his detriment.
In the 1996/97 campaign, Middlesbrough found themselves in the strange position of being in an FA Cup Final, having already been relegated from The Premier League.
Former Champions League winner Fabrizio Ravanelli was in a race to be fit for the final and Cox gave an interview suggesting that only players who are fit should be in the first team.
He was also injured and acknowledged he would not be able to play a part. Ravanelli took offence to the comments and the pair came to blows on the morning of the Cup Final. The Italian nicknamed ‘The White Feather’ lasted just 23 minutes of the final as they lost 2-0 to Chelsea.
That level of resolve and fortitude has clearly never left Cox, but he believes that he has mellowed as a person since his first foray into management.
“I’ll be a calmer influence now than I was when I was first in a manager’s job. insisted Cox.
“You learn a lot when you’re out of work because you see things more, everything’s a little bit clearer.”
The new management team will oversee their first game at home to Boreham Wood on Saturday.