Valley Legend Honoured at New Development

Both a Valley and a local sporting legend was honoured at the grand opening of a new apartment complex in the town recently.

The then-Mayor of Rugby, Councillor Carolyn Watson-Merret attended to cut the ribbon at Knox Court - a retirement living development on Bilton Road - named after the late Jimmy Knox, who managed the club for more than ten years across the 1980s and 1990s.

Two of Jimmy's children - Steve and Kate - were part of the official ceremonial party, where they were also joined by one of the club's founders Keith Coughlan and one-time Valley Chairman Mick Vousden.

Vousden was at the helm to finally persuade Jimmy to grasp the managerial reigns at Butlin Road in January 1981, and the Scot went on to preside over a very successful period of the club's history in leading them to their famous FA Vase win, their first entry into the Southern League and a number of memorable FA Cup runs too.

Prior to his arrival at the club, Jimmy had made first-team appearances at both Raith Rovers and Coventry City (in the old Division Three South), before transferring to non-league football and lining-up for Lockheed Leamington, Corby and Banbury, as well as three separate playing spells at an old incarnation of Rugby Town - who ironically operated from the Oakfield Ground on which this new McCarthy Stone development has now been built.

Knox was appointed player-manager of this (now-defunct) Town entity up until its liquidation in 1973, whereupon he took over at local rivals AP Leamington between 1973 and 1980.

He joined VS Rugby in January 1981 when they were struggling in the West Midlands League and remained at the club until the end of the 1991/92 season, with the highlight of his fruitful spell in charge undoubtedly the 1-0 victory over Halesowen in the FA showpiece final at Wembley in 1983.

Jimmy sadly died on Christmas Eve 2012 aged 77, but his memory lives on to this day among the club's supporters, ex-players and officials alike.

Valley founder and long-serving Club Secretary Keith Coughlan once more paid tribute to Knox describing him as "one of the non-league football's most successful players and managers ever - as well as an honourable man and always a pleasure to be with away from the game."

Jimmy's son Steve Knox conveyed his family's pride and gratitude for this mark of respect. He said: "We would like to thank Rugby Borough Council for their role in enabling this honour to be established.

"Oakfield always had a special place in my father's heart from his days of playing and managing there. A lot of the family still live in and around Rugby, so it's great to have a permanent memorial reference point on the site now."

Steve himself played in that famous Wembley Vase-winning side and had joined up with many of team-mates and supporters from then to celebrate the forty year anniversary of the triumph only days before the Knox Court opening ceremony.

He continued: "It was great to get together with the boys and see many of the old faces once more, and it was also great to discover that the club are also celebrating another success this year with the promotion back into Step 4 of the non-league pyramid.