Billy Ronson
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 22 January 1957 | ||
Place of birth | Fleetwood, England | ||
Date of death | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. | ||
Place of death | Perry Hall, Maryland, US | ||
Height | Script error: No such module "person height". | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1974–1979 | Blackpool | 128 | (12) |
1978 | → Fort Lauderdale Strikers (loan) | 17 | (1) |
1979–1981 | Cardiff City | 90 | (4) |
1981–1982 | Wrexham | 32 | (1) |
1982–1986 | Barnsley | 113 | (3) |
1986 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 2 | (0) |
1986 | Blackpool | 3 | (0) |
1986–1992 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 280 | (112) |
1992 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | ||
1992–1993 | Detroit Rockers (indoor) | 29 | (19) |
1993–1995 | Baltimore Bays (indoor) | ? | (?) |
1994 | Baltimore Bays | ||
1995 | Pittsburgh Stingers (indoor) | 8 | (5) |
1996 | Washington Warthogs (indoor) | 24 | (14) |
1996–1997 | Baltimore Bays (indoor) | ||
1998–1999 | Baltimore Spirit (indoor) | 17 | (5) |
Managerial career | |||
1993–1997 | Goucher College | ||
1993–1995 | Baltimore Bays (assistant) | ||
1996–1998 | Baltimore Bays | ||
1998–1999 | Baltimore Spirit (assistant) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William "Billy" Ronson (22 January 1957 – 8 April 2015) was an English footballer who spent twelve seasons in the English leagues, one in the North American Soccer League, six in the Major Indoor Soccer League and another seven years in a variety of lower division indoor and outdoor leagues in the United States. He also coached at the collegiate and professional levels.
Playing career
Ronson, the son of Fleetwood stalwart Percy Ronson, began his career at Blackpool, making his debut in March 1975 against Nottingham Forest. He originally struggled to break into the side but eventually managed to establish himself in the first team. In 1978, he went on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. He was unable to prevent Blackpool's relegation during the 1977–78 season and spent one more year at the club before joining Cardiff City for a fee of £130,000, a club record at the time. He missed very few games in his two years at Ninian Park before growing disenchanted with the club's lack of progress and leaving to join Wrexham.
His only season at Wrexham ended in relegation, and he left to join Barnsley. He became popular at the Yorkshire club before falling out with manager Allan Clarke and being loaned to Birmingham City before being released and returning to Blackpool on non-contract terms. He moved to America in 1986 to join the Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He remained with the Blast for six seasons. The Blast collapsed at the end of the 1991–1992 season. In February 2009, the reconstituted Blast inducted Ronson into the team's Hall of Fame.[1] In June 1992, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer League.[2] In 1994, he joined the Baltimore Bays of the USISL. On 19 November 1992, he joined the Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League.[3][4] In the fall of 1993, he signed with the Baltimore Bays as that team prepared for the 1993–1994 USISL indoor season.[5] He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year.[6] He continued with the Bays, playing the 1994 outdoor and 1994–1995 indoor seasons. On 26 July 1995, he signed with the Pittsburgh Stingers of the Continental Indoor Soccer League.[7] In August 1995, Ronson was in an auto accident which put him out for the rest of the season. In June 1996, he joined the Washington Warthogs of the CISL.[8] At the end of the 1996 summer indoor season, Ronson returned to the Bays where he became a player-coach for the 1996–1997 USISL indoor season. He was the league's points leader and MVP.[9] In December 1998, he joined the Baltimore Spirit on a 15-day contract.[10][11]
Coaching
In 1993, Ronson became the head coach of the Goucher College NCAA Division III women's soccer team. He coached the team through the 1997 season, compiling a 41–44–4 record.[12] In 1994, he became and assistant coach with the Baltimore Bays.[13] He left the Bays in 1995 to play for the Pittsburgh Stingers then returned as a player-head coach of the Bays for the 1996–1997 indoor season. After retiring, Ronson had spells as assistant coach and later assistant general manager at Baltimore Blast. In 2009 he was inducted into the Baltimore Blast hall of fame.[14]
His last known employer was an American company named Action Business Systems.[15]
He died of natural causes at his home in Perry Hall, Baltimore County, on 8 April 2015.[16]
References
General
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Specific
- ↑ Baltimore Blast to induct Ronson and Chinapoo in sixth Hall of Fame class
- ↑ LOCALLY The Tampa Tribune – Thursday, 18 June 1992
- ↑ SPORTS TODAY The Buffalo News – Friday, 20 November 1992
- ↑ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1992–1993
- ↑ Ronson is still kicking . . . this time indoors for Bays
- ↑ The Year in American Soccer – 1994
- ↑ TWO LITTLE-USED STINGERS WILL GET THEIR SHOT TONIGHT Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) – Friday, 28 July 1995
- ↑ WARTHOGS OPEN SEASON WITH NEW, MATURE LOOK Washington Post – Friday, 21 June 1996
- ↑ The Year in American Soccer – 1997
- ↑ REINIGER BREAKS OUT OF SLUMP St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) – Saturday, 26 December 1998
- ↑ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1998–1999
- ↑ Goucher College soccer coaching records
- ↑ Raleigh soccer team starts play at Baltimore The News & Observer – Saturday, 1 May 1993
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- EngvarB from July 2013
- Use dmy dates from July 2013
- Pages using infobox football biography with height issues
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1957 births
- 2015 deaths
- American Professional Soccer League players
- Baltimore Bays (1993–98) players
- Baltimore Blast (original MISL) players
- Baltimore Spirit players
- Barnsley F.C. players
- Birmingham City F.C. players
- Blackpool F.C. players
- Cardiff City F.C. players
- Continental Indoor Soccer League players
- English footballers
- English expatriate footballers
- Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–83) players
- Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) players
- National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) coaches
- National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) players
- People from Fleetwood
- Pittsburgh Stingers players
- Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–93) players
- USISL coaches
- USISL players
- Washington Warthogs players
- Wrexham F.C. players
- The Football League players