Ronnie Clayton
Clayton in 1959
Personal information
Full name Ronald Clayton
Date of birth (1934-08-05)5 August 1934
Place of birth Preston, England
Date of death 29 October 2010(2010-10-29) (aged 76)
Height 5 ft 9+12 in (1.77 m)[1]
Position(s) Right-half
Youth career
Blackburn Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1969 Blackburn Rovers 581 (15)
1969–1970 Morecambe
1970–1971 Great Harwood
International career
1955–1957 England U23 6 (0)
1955 England B 1 (0)
1955–1960 England 35 (0)
Managerial career
1969–1970 Morecambe (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Clayton – front row centre – in a England national football team photo before playing against Sweden national football team, October 1959.

Ronald Clayton[2] (5 August 1934 – 29 October 2010) was an English footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers. He was capped 35 times for England between 1955 and 1960.[3]

Clayton, a right half, began his career with Blackburn Rovers (where his elder brother Ken was also a squad member).[4][5] He made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in the 1950–51 season, and between then and 1969 made 581 appearances for his only Football League club.[3][6][7] He then became player-manager of Morecambe, and also appeared for Great Harwood before retiring.[8][9]

At international level, Clayton was capped six times for England under-23,[10] once for England B,[11] and 35 times at full international level, including five as captain.[12] He made his international debut against Northern Ireland in November 1955, and won his last cap against Yugoslavia in May 1960.[2] He was part of England's team at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.[13]

In 1960 his autobiography 'A Slave – To Soccer' was published.[14] On 2 December 1970 Blackburn Rovers recognised his services to the club with them hosting the Ronnie Clayton Testimonial Match with a Manchester City / Liverpool XI playing an International XI.[15]

Clayton died in October 2010.[16] On 13 August 2011, as a sign of respect to Clayton, it was announced at half-time during the first game of the 2011–12 Barclays Premier League season, that The Blackburn End was to be renamed The Ronnie Clayton End at Ewood Park. In February 2019 he was one of the first seven players to be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.[17]

See also

References

  1. Maurice Golesworth (1965). Soccer Who's Who. The Sportsmans Book Club.
  2. 1 2 "Ronnie Clayton". Englandstats. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Ronnie Clayton". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  4. Player Archive | Kenneth Clayton, BRFCS.com
  5. Former Blackburn Rovers player Ken Clayton dies – aged 81, Lancashire Telegraph, 2 December 2014
  6. "Ronnie Clayton Blackburn Rovers FC". Football Heroes. Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  7. Player Archive | Ronald Clayton, BRFCS.com
  8. "Ronnie Clayton 1969–1970". Morecambe FC – Shrimps Supporters. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  9. "Great Harwood Legends Ronnie Clayton". Great Harwood Town F.C. 18 October 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  10. Courtney, Barrie (27 March 2004). "England – U-23 International Results- Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  11. Courtney, Barrie (21 March 2004). "England – International Results B-Team – Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  12. "England's Captains by Match 1946–1960". England Football Online. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  13. "England in World Cup 1958 Squad Records". England Football Online. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  14. Clayton, Ronnie (1960), A Slave – To Soccer, Stanley Paul
  15. Manchester Evening News 3 December 1970 (British Newspaper Archive).
  16. "England and Blackburn winger Ronnie Clayton dies". BBCsport. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  17. Rovers legends inducted into Hall of Fame www.rovers.co.uk, 17 July 2019
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