Ron Hillyard

Football player infobox
playername = Ron Hillyard
fullname = Ronald William Hillyard
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1952|3|31
cityofbirth = Brinsworth
countryofbirth = England
height = 5'10"
currentclub = Ebbsfleet United (goalkeeping coach)
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears = ? 1969
youthclubs = Leeds United
York City
years= 1969–1974
1972
1973
1973
1974–1991
clubs=York City
→ Hartlepool United (loan)
→ Bury (loan)
→ Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
Gillingham
caps(goals) = 061 (0) [ [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/york/york.htm York City all-time players' records] ]
023 (0) [ [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/hartlepool/hartlepool.htm Hartlepool United all-time players' records] ]
000 (0) [ [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/bury/bury.htm Bury all-time players' records] ]
000 (0) [ [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/brighton/brighton.htm Brighton & Hove Albion all-time players' records] ]
563 (0)cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| id=ISBN 0-7524-2243-X|pages=p158]

Ronald William "Ron" Hillyard (born 31 March, 1952 in Brinsworth, England) is an English former football goalkeeper. He spent seventeen years playing for Gillingham, for whom he holds the record for the most matches played in all competition.

Career

Hillyard began his career with York City as a junior, and was thrust into the first-team in October 1969, when the club was facing a goalkeeping crisis.cite book
last = Batters
first = Dave
title = York City: A Complete Record 1922-1990
publisher = The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited
year = 1990
pages = p170
chapter = York City Stars
isbn = 0907969690 ] Although he made 61 Football League appearances over the next five years, he was unable to establish himself as a first-team regular and was loaned out to several other clubs. Finally in 1974, Gillingham manager Len Ashurst, who had been attempting to sign the Yorkshireman for his former club Hartlepool United for three years, was able to secure his transfer to his new club.

For almost the entirety of the next seventeen years, Hillyard was the Kent club's first-choice goalkeeper, until a back injury forced him to retire in 1991. Two years earlier he had been appointed assistant manager by Damien Richardson, a post he continued to hold until 1992 when both he and Richardson were sacked.

Hillyard was expected to break John Simpson's record for the most league appearances for Gillingham but ultimately his career ended 8 matches short of Simpson's tally of 571. Nonetheless, Hillyard set a new record for appearances for the club in all competitions with a total of 657, during which he kept 202 clean sheets.

Currently Hillyard holds the position of goalkeeping coach with Ebbsfleet United. [ [http://www.gnfc.co.uk/index.php?mainmenu=matchdaymenu.html&content=player_profiles.php&submenu=matchday.php&photos=players_tn.html#117 Ebbsfleet United website] ]

References