Players - Jack Cox

Jack Cox
Birthdate: 21 December 1877
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Date of death: 11 November 1955
Other clubs: South Shore Standard, South Shore (1896-97), Blackpool (1897), Blackpool (2 / 1909-11)
Signed from: Blackpool
Signed for LFC: £150, 24.12.1897
International debut: 09.03.1901 vs. Ireland
International caps: 3/0 - 04.04.1903
Liverpool debut: 12.03.1898
Last appearance: 30.04.1909
Debut goal: 12.03.1898
Last goal: 06.02.1909
Contract expiry: May 1909
Win ratio: 48.2% W:174 D:69 L:118
Games/goals ratio: 4.51
Honours: League Championship 1900/01, 1905/06; Second Division 1904/05
League games / goals: 327 / 72
Total games / goals: 361 / 80

Player Profile

After one season with Blackpool in the Second Division where he scored 12 goals in 17 games Cox was transferred to Liverpool for the considerable sum of £150 enabling the Lancashire club to announce a loss of £441 as opposed to over £1,000 for the previous campaign. The twenty-year-old scored on his debut three months after his arrival in a 2-0 win over Notts County on 12 March 1898 as Liverpool sought to establish themselves as a first division club. Cox was in the line-up in the first game of the 1898/99 season as well as newcomer Alex Raisbeck. They quickly became key components of Tom Watson's side who seemed finally ready to challenge for the League Championship and the Cup. Their heroics didn't, however, guarantee them silverware as Liverpool were knocked out of the semi-finals of the FA Cup by Sheffield United in a second replay and defeated 5-0 by Aston Villa in the last League game of the season when a win would have guaranteed Liverpool the title instead of Villa. The 1899/1900 season was a terrible anti-climax for Cox. Liverpool lost their first eight games of the season and Cox got injured in the middle of November and was out for two months. Liverpool won eight out of their final ten games but only finished a disappointing tenth. The arrival of centre-forward Sam Raybould in January 1900 had given the team much-needed firepower. Cox only missed two games in the 1900/01 season when Liverpool incredibly were only twice top of the League, after the first game and, crucially, the last! Cox contributed ten goals in 32 matches as Liverpool won their first League Championship, a fantastic goal ratio for a winger. Despite his success Cox "wanted a change" but since Liverpool offered him the maximum wage as his contract was renewed for the following season the Football League refused his application.

At the beginning of the 1902/03 season, Cox moved from right to left-wing as future legend Arthur Goddard, who had joined seven months earlier, established himself on the right. Liverpool had played well below expectations following their 1901 triumph and were relegated in 1904. Cox wanted to go to Fulham as he objected to playing in the Second Division and his girlfriend at the time was believed to be living in London. Merseyside rivals, Everton, also tried to tempt Liverpool to cash in on him. The Blues were prized out of the move and the Football Association did not allow his transfer to Fulham as he had been offered maximum wage at Liverpool. Thankfully, Cox stayed as he was instrumental in Liverpool's remarkable achievement of winning the Second and First Division in two consecutive seasons in 1905 and 1906. In May 1909 Cox returned as player-manager to Blackpool where he had already achieved legendary status after only one season at the beginning of his career.
Appearances per season
Please note

John Thomas "Jack" Cox was said to have been born in Blackpool on 21 November 1876 in Who's Who of Liverpool 1892-1989 by Doug Lamming, but we have 21 December 1877 from his birth certificate. Cox indeed lived in Blackpool, but he moved there 3/4 years old after being born on 266 Vauxhall Road in Liverpool.

Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 327 33 0 0 1 361
1897-1898 2 0 0 0 0 2
1898-1899 27 6 0 0 0 33
1899-1900 25 4 0 0 0 29
1900-1901 32 2 0 0 0 34
1901-1902 31 3 0 0 0 34
1902-1903 29 1 0 0 0 30
1903-1904 33 1 0 0 0 34
1904-1905 32 2 0 0 0 34
1905-1906 28 4 0 0 1 33
1906-1907 25 4 0 0 0 29
1907-1908 35 4 0 0 0 39
1908-1909 28 2 0 0 0 30
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
22 1980 Blackburn Rovers
19 1710 Everton
19 1710 Sheffield United
19 1710 Notts County
18 1620 Sunderland
18 1620 Newcastle United
16 1440 Aston Villa
16 1440 Sheffield Wednesday
15 1350 Nottingham Forest
15 1350 Bolton Wanderers
15 1350 Stoke City
15 1350 Derby
15 1350 Bury
14 1260 Manchester City
13 1170 WBA
11 990 Preston North End
11 990 Middlesbrough
10 900 Wolves
10 900 Birmingham City
7 630 Arsenal
7 630 Bristol City
7 630 Manchester United
5 450 Bradford City
5 450 Grimsby Town
4 360 Burnley
4 360 Chelsea
3 270 Lincoln City
3 270 Leicester City
3 270 Barnsley
3 270 Glossop North End
2 180 Gainsborough Trinity
2 180 Burton United
2 180 Chesterfield
2 180 Brighton & Hove Albion
2 180 Southampton
2 180 Blackpool
1 90 Norwich City
1 90 Oldham Athletic
1 90 Port Vale
1 90 Doncaster Rovers
1 90 Brentford
1 90 West Ham United
1 90 Corinthians
Total Venue
185 Home
172 Away
4 Neutral
Total Competition
327 League
33 FA Cup
1 Sheriff of London Charity Shield
Total W D L Win % Manager
361 174 69 118 48.2% Tom Watson
Goals per season
Please note

John Thomas "Jack" Cox was said to have been born in Blackpool on 21 November 1876 in Who's Who of Liverpool 1892-1989 by Doug Lamming, but we have 21 December 1877 from his birth certificate. Cox indeed lived in Blackpool, but he moved there 3/4 years old after being born on 266 Vauxhall Road in Liverpool.

Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 72 8 0 0 0 80
1897-1898 1 0 0 0 0 1
1898-1899 5 2 0 0 0 7
1899-1900 5 1 0 0 0 6
1900-1901 10 0 0 0 0 10
1901-1902 4 0 0 0 0 4
1902-1903 9 0 0 0 0 9
1903-1904 9 0 0 0 0 9
1904-1905 10 0 0 0 0 10
1905-1906 8 0 0 0 0 8
1906-1907 7 1 0 0 0 8
1907-1908 2 3 0 0 0 5
1908-1909 2 1 0 0 0 3
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 12.03.1898 Notts County Anfield League
50 27.01.1900 Stoke Victoria Ground FA Cup
100 07.09.1901 Stoke Victoria Ground League
150 03.01.1903 Blackburn Rovers Ewood Park League
200 17.09.1904 Bradford City Anfield League
250 30.12.1905 Woolwich Arsenal Anfield League
300 12.10.1907 Sunderland Anfield League
350 23.01.1909 Bradford City Valley Parade League
Milestone Goals
# Minute Date Against Stadium Competition
1 85 12.03.1898 Notts County Anfield League
50 44 11.03.1905 Doncaster Rovers Intake Ground League
Related Articles
1896-1899: A new exciting era at Liverpool

Liverpool FC wear red for the first time. The most successful manager in the country takes over and brings his magic touch to the 'Reds' bringing them tantalizingly close to a league and cup double.

Cox and Raisbeck back at Anfield

From the Liverpool Echo on 20 March 1911.

Related Quotes

"A brilliant, but erratic genius. His great weakness is a tendency to over elaboration when in possession of the ball, but when the mood is on him, there is no hesitation; no finessing to discover the way towards goal. This is Cox, in his International humour, and when such is the case, the opposing defence know about it. On his day there is no cleverer outside-left in the kingdom than Cox."

The joint Everton/Liverpool programme describes Jack Cox in 1904

Scrapbook
Cigarette card
Cigarette card
Cox analysis 17 September 1904
Cox analysis 17 September 1904
Cox and Crook (Blackpool) take part in 100 yards footballers' race in 1905
Cox and Crook (Blackpool) take part in 100 yards footballers' race in 1905
Cox says goodbye
Cox says goodbye
Jack Cox remembered in the Liverpool Echo in the 1925/26 season
Jack Cox remembered in the Liverpool Echo in the 1925/26 season
One of the best!
One of the best!
The famous international and Liverpool winger
The famous international and Liverpool winger
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
South Shore Standard N/A N/A N/A N/A
South Shore 1896-1897 Lancashire League N/A N/A N/A N/A
Blackpool 1897-1898 England Second Division 17 12 18 12
Blackpool 1909-1910 England Second Division 25 3 25 3
Blackpool 1910-1911 England Second Division 28 3 29 3
Blackpool 1911-1912 England Second Division 15 0 18 0
Total 85 18 90 18