We are delighted to announce that Brigadier Andy Cox MBE has been selected as the new Chair of the Army FA Board of Trustees replacing Brigadier Niall Stokoe OBE who left the Army at the end of 2022 after serving the Board for seven years.

Brigadier Andy was commissioned into the Staffordshire Regiment of the British Army in 1996. Following graduation from the University of Wales and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he held multiple operational commands in Infantry, Armoured Infantry and Reconnaissance roles. He saw operational service in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Bosnia followed by a series of tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He also deployed to Kenya, Germany, Canada, Cyprus and Oman. Notable roles include Chief of Staff 12 Brigade and Task Force HELMAND, Strategic Plans in the Ministry of Defence, Command of the Army Training Regiment and Assistant Head of Organisation and Strategy at the Army Headquarters. He served as the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the UK's Joint Force Headquarters, where he led a JTF in Iraq and latterly supported the UK's global repatriation mission during the COVID-19 crisis. In his previous appointment he served as the Deputy Commanding General for the 1st (US) Armoured Division, this included a tour as the JTF Comd for Operation Afghan Freedom (the resettlement of over 12,000 Afghan refugees into the USA).

In January 2022 he assumed the role of Chief of Staff, Home Command and the Standing Joint Headquarters (UK). Brigadier Andy serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST), and as a lifelong Southampton FC fan he has developed sticking power, a sense of humour and optimism!

Upon appointment Brigadier Andy said “Sport has always been an important part of my life. It has the power to transform lives, create leaders and build strong values. I have seen first-hand the tremendously positive outcomes that are derived from playing, coaching, refereeing and supporting all sports, none more relevant to our Soldiers than Football. So I am extremely proud to have been appointed as the Chair of Army Football.

My predecessor, Brigadier (Retd) Niall Stokoe, has done a tremendous job. He has guided Army Football through the difficult years of Covid and provided the Soldiers' Game with a brilliant base of governance and talent from which to operate. I know that everyone involved with Army Football is enormously grateful for his dedicated service to the game.

With the board, managers and coaches I am determined to build upon those strong foundations. I am keen that the Army maximises the power of our football role models.
Army Football is already leading the way on levels of participation, inclusion and positive behaviours. Not only are we playing great football, but we are playing the beautiful game in the right way. This is a powerful example of TEAMWORK. From grass roots at unit level through to our high performance representative teams, I am excited where we can take the Soldiers' Game.”