The following article appeared in the Dundalk FC Magazine in April 2006.
He has been the biggest servant that the club has seen in the past sixty years. He lived for two things: Oriel Park and his own garden and was very proud of both. I spoke with him recently and he revealed his biggest ambition was for Dundalk to get back to the Premier Division so that we could have thebig games with the Shels and Corks back in Oriel, as well as big local derbies with Drogheda United. Anybody who knew Mickey was greatly influenced by him and it was an honour to be invited back into his "boot-room" for a cup of tea to talk about events in the club.
Last year we were all very nervous about his reaction to the decision to put the new synthetic surface down in Oriel Park. However, he turned out to be one of the biggest supporters of the decision once he saw the quality of the surface. He recognised at the time that the pitch could be a vital source of revenue for the club. Up until the very end he would come up to Oriel Park to oversee whatever work needed to be done. We will all miss him very much. Tony O’Kane, Former Chairman, Dundalk FC
I knew Mickey Fox for a long long time and he was a true friend. From travelling down from Dublin to Oriel Park I always knew that Mickey would have a cup of tea and a biscuit waiting. He was great friends with Turlough O'Connor and would always make a point of asking him how he was. He was a true gentleman and we will never see his like again. The service he gave Dundalk Football Club was incredible. One of the things that many people do not know about Mickey is that when times were hard at the club financially Mickey would often pay for the items he needed to do his job such as petrol.
Last week when I went to Dundalk I met with Liam Tuohy and Mick Lawlor and we reminicsed about Mickey. People always mention his kind nature and, in particular, his particularly strong brand of tea that many say was like axle grease! Even referee's like John Carpenter and Paddy Daly would remember the welcome from Mickey and his strong tea! I am happy that Mickey was honoured before the Drogheda match last August as it allowed the club to publically demonstrate how much we appreciated his work over the past sixty years. Mickey will always be Mr. Oriel Park as far as I'm concerned. He was my friend and we will all miss him terribly.
Jim Reilly President, Dundalk FC
Mickey Fox had four great loves in his life. His family, his church, his garden and, last but not least, Dundalk Football Club. Mickey was an integral part of the club for 60 years. He was an institution in Oriel Park and a legend in the wider football world. For the past sixty years or so the playing pitch was Mickey's passion and life. He fed and nurtured the pitch like a baby. It was his pride and joy and regardless of what level of game was about to be played - be it a European match or a local junior final - Mickey would ensure it was in tip-top condition.
It was on the personnel in Oriel Park that Mickey had the greatest impact over the years. His honesty, integrity, humour, modesty and work ethic endeared him to players, officials, supporters, referees and visitors, all of whom Mickey treated like children to be minded and looked after. Since the building of the stand 30 years ago Mickey's base was the "bootroom" where the craic was always ninety and the mug of tea compulsory. It was in this room that Mickey's advice and counsel was strongly dispensed although not always without argument!
On a personal level Mickey was a huge part of my own family for the last 44 years. Mickey was going to be 80 years of age on 8 May. This date is also Jack Charlton's birthday, a fact that used to delight Mickey as he was a big Jack fan. We are all going to miss him
Des Casey
Mickey was a colleague and a friend. If he could help you out at all, he would. We will miss him terribly in Oriel Park but I feel his spirit will always be there. Having worked with him for the last 25 years I can honestly say he was a gentleman of the highest order, a kind and considerate hard-working man, an example to us all.
Elizabeth Duffy, Former Secretary, Dundalk FC
