Richard Hancox
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Richard Hancox (born October 4, 1970) is an English professional footballer, and is married to the daughter of formerTorquay United chairman Mike Bateson. He currently plays for Western League side Bideford while working as a part-time assistant manager at Torquay United.
Hancox was born in Stourbridge and joined Torquay United in March 1993 from Stourbridge Swifts. After being released by Torquay he drifted into local non-league football. He re-emerged at Plainmoor helping out with the youth team. However, when the youth system was abandoned as a cost-cutting measure, Hancox, by now the chairman's son-in-law, was appointed to the newly created (i.e. newly incurred cost) post of stadium manager. To the annoyance of many fans, who either did not remember him kindly from his playing days, or questioned the influence of the family relationships involved, Hancox was given a squad number, although this was supposed to be in case of emergencies. However, many assumed nepotism and it certainly was nothing to do with playing ability that saw Hancox a member of the first-team squad.
In his wisdom, Torquay manager Leroy Rosenior included Hancox in the first team squad and even allowed him to come on as a substitute in a 4-1 defeat away to Rochdale on the 3rd of September 2005, replacing the injured Tony Bedeau, despite having 4 other outfield players on the substitutes bench. Although he was selected as substitute in future games, this was to be the last of an unillustrious career at Plainmoor. He was later made assistant manager, this despite the club implying previously that they couldn't afford a non-playing assistant. With Rosenior replaced, initially by John Cornforth and then by Ian Atkins, Hancox was sidelined and on the 6th of June 2006 and an announcement was made that he would leave the club's employment at the end of that month. Soon after, he took up a coaching position at Dawlish Town, one of a number of local non-league football clubs he had played for while working for Torquay.
In early November 2006 he left to play for Bideford and on the 27th of that month returned to Torquay United on a part-time basis to assist new manager Luboš Kubík. By this time his father-in-law was no longer chairman of the club, but his wife had been promoted to Chief Executive under new chairman Chris Roberts. His return was a move widely derided by many supporters who were aghast at seeing the club revert to the policy of nepotism that so characterised the Bateson regime. Hancox has an appalling relationship with the supporters who remember his obscene gestures towards them at an away game.
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