Ron Flowers

Football player infobox2
playername= Ron Flowers


fullname = Ronald Flowers
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1934|7|28
cityofbirth = Edlington, Doncaster
countryofbirth = England
height =
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
1950–1952
youthclubs = Doncaster Rovers
Wath Wanderers
years = 1952–1967
1967–1969
1969–1971
clubs = Wolverhampton Wanderers
Northampton Town
Wellington Town
caps(goals) = 467 0(33)
062 00(4)
000 00 (-)
manageryears = 1968–1969
1971
managerclubs = Northampton Town (player/manager)
Wellington Town (player/manager)
nationalyears = 1955
1955–1966
nationalteam = England Under 23
England
nationalcaps(goals) = 002 00(0)
049 0(10)

Ronald "Ron" Flowers (born July 28, 1934 in Edlington, near Doncaster) is an English former professional footballer, most known for his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was a member of England's victorious 1966 World Cup squad.

Career

Flowers began in the Doncaster Rovers academy, where his father played semi-professionally, before being released and later spotted by the Wolves' nursery side Wath Wanderers. Within a year, he was moved down to Molineux and soon broke into the first team, making a scoring debut against Blackpool on September 20, 1952. Prior to this time, he had served in the RAF and became an aircraftman second class at Padgate before being transferred to Hednesford.

Playing as an attacking midfield player (in modern terminology) at Wolves, he won three league championships and an FA Cup. In total, he made 515 appearances for the club, scoring 37 times.

Flowers won 49 caps for England and scored 10 goals. His international debut came on May 15, 1955 in a 0-1 friendly defeat to France. He went on to appear in the 1962 World Cup and scored two goals from the penalty spot in the group stage. Although his last England cap came before the finals (a friendly win over Norway), he was a member of the squad that won the 1966 World Cup, being the oldest and earliest-capped member of the squad.

He finally left Wolves in September 1967 to join Northampton Town, where he later became player/manager. He ended his playing career at non-league Wellington Town (latterly known as Telford United) as player-manager before retiring to run a sports shop in Wolverhampton. His sports shop company is still successfully trading in the town centre. [ [http://www.expressandstar.com/2006/10/28/rons-shop-is-runaway-success/ Wolverhampton Express & Star] ]

Honours

* League Championship 1953/54, 1957/58, 1958/59
* FA Cup 1960
* Charity Shield 1954, 1959, 1960
*World Cup: 1966

References