Ron Atkinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ron Atkinson

Atkinson in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Ronald Frederick Atkinson
Date of birth	(1939-03-18) 18 March 1939 (age 86)
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Playing position	Wing half
Youth career
	Wolverhampton Wanderers
–1956	BSA Tools
1956–1959	Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1959–1971	Oxford United	560	(21)
Teams managed
1971–1974	Kettering Town
1974–1978	Cambridge United
1978–1981	West Bromwich Albion
1981–1986	Manchester United
1987–1988	West Bromwich Albion
1988–1989	Atlético Madrid
1989–1991	Sheffield Wednesday
1991–1994	Aston Villa
1995–1996	Coventry City
1997–1998	Sheffield Wednesday
1999	Nottingham Forest
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939) is an English former football player and manager. People often called him "Big Ron" because of his personality. He was also a very well-known football expert on TV in the 1990s and early 2000s.

During his time as a player, he was nicknamed "The Tank". He played for Oxford United for twelve years. He still holds the club record for playing the most games there. As a manager, he won the FA Cup twice with Manchester United. He also won the Football League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa.

Ron Atkinson's Early Life and Playing Days

Atkinson was born in Liverpool, England. His family later moved to an area near Birmingham. He started his football journey at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Then, at 17, he joined Aston Villa. He never played for their main team. He said that coach Jimmy Hogan taught him a lot.

In 1959, he moved to Oxford United. At the time, they were called Headington United. His younger brother, Graham Atkinson, also played there. Ron played over 500 games for the club as a "wing-half". This position is like a midfielder who also helps attack. He scored 14 goals and was known as "The Tank".

Ron was the captain as Oxford United moved up from a lower league to the Second Division. This was a big achievement, happening in just six years. He was the first player to captain a club through three different divisions of the Football League.

Ron Atkinson's Managerial Career

Atkinson in 2007.

Starting Out: Kettering Town and Cambridge United

After he stopped playing, Ron Atkinson became a manager. He started at Kettering Town in 1971 when he was only 32. He did so well there that he moved to Cambridge United in 1974. He helped Cambridge United win the Fourth Division in 1977. He left them just before they were promoted to the Second Division.

Leading West Bromwich Albion

In 1978, Atkinson became manager of West Bromwich Albion. This team was in the top division. He signed Brendon Batson, who joined Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis. This was special because it was the first time a top English team regularly played three black players at once.

Atkinson led West Bromwich Albion to third place in the league in 1979. They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. On 30 December 1978, they famously beat Manchester United 5–3 at Old Trafford. West Brom was second in the league at that time. In 1981, they finished fourth. Soon after, Atkinson became the manager of Manchester United.

Managing Manchester United

Atkinson was brought to Manchester United to bring excitement back to the club. The team had finished eighth the season before he arrived.

In the 1981–82 season, United finished third in the league. This meant they could play in the UEFA Cup. Early in the season, he bought Bryan Robson for a record £1.5 million. He also signed Remi Moses and Frank Stapleton. He gave a young player named Norman Whiteside his first game in April 1982.

In the 1982–83 season, United played in two finals at Wembley Stadium. They won the FA Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion. They also finished third in the league again. Norman Whiteside became one of the best players in the league that season. United beat Brighton 4–0 in the FA Cup final replay after a 2–2 draw.

In the 1983–84 season, Atkinson's team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. However, they lost in the FA Cup early on. They finished fourth in the league. At the end of the season, Ray Wilkins was sold. Young striker Mark Hughes also started to play well. Atkinson moved Norman Whiteside into midfield and paired Hughes with Frank Stapleton.

In the 1984–85 season, United won the FA Cup again. However, they could not play in the European Cup Winners' Cup. This was because of the Heysel disaster, which led to English clubs being banned from European competitions.

In the 1985–86 season, United started very strongly. They won their first ten league games and were unbeaten for fifteen games. They had a big lead at the top of the league. But their form dropped, and they finished fourth. Liverpool won the league that year. The ban on English clubs in Europe continued.

Mark Hughes was sold to Barcelona at the end of the season. Atkinson had bought Peter Davenport to replace him. Davenport was the top scorer in the next season, but he wasn't as popular as Hughes.

The 1986–87 season started badly for United. Despite some better results in September and October, the team was struggling. On 6 November 1986, Atkinson was sacked as manager. United was near the bottom of the league at that time.

Back to West Bromwich Albion

Atkinson returned to West Brom in 1987. The team was now in the Second Division and fighting to avoid going down further. He helped them stay in the division. They started the next season well, looking like they might get promoted.

A Short Time at Atlético Madrid

In October 1988, Atkinson became manager of Atlético Madrid in Spain. He won his first game 6–1. However, he had disagreements with the club's owner, Jesús Gil. Because of this, Atkinson was sacked after only three months.

Success at Sheffield Wednesday

Atkinson then managed Sheffield Wednesday from 1989 to 1991. The club was relegated to the Second Division in 1990. But Atkinson led them back to the First Division the very next season. They also won the Football League Cup that year, beating Manchester United 1–0 in the final. After saying he would stay, Atkinson left for Aston Villa a week later. This upset many Sheffield Wednesday fans.

Managing Aston Villa

Atkinson took over Aston Villa in 1991. He led them to second place in the first-ever FA Premier League season (1992–93). He also won the League Cup with them in 1994. This meant Villa could play in the UEFA Cup. As of 2021, his second-place finish is still the highest for an English manager in the Premier League.

Despite this success, Atkinson and Villa's chairman, Doug Ellis, did not get along well. Atkinson was sacked on 10 November 1994. This happened after a loss to Wimbledon. The team was getting older and was fighting against relegation.

Time at Coventry City

Three months after leaving Villa, Atkinson became manager at Coventry City in February 1995. The team was just above the Premier League relegation zone. He helped them get some good results, including wins against Leicester City and Liverpool. He was named Premier League Manager of the Month for March 1995. Coventry City stayed in the league that season.

In December 1995, Coventry City had a great 5–0 win over Blackburn Rovers. Atkinson brought in famous players like Gordon Strachan and Gary McAllister. But the team still struggled in the Premier League. In November 1996, he became Director of Football. He handed over the manager role to Gordon Strachan.

Another Return to Sheffield Wednesday

In November 1997, he went back to Sheffield Wednesday. The team had started the season very poorly. Under Atkinson, their form improved, and they moved away from the relegation zone. However, he was not offered a long-term contract and left at the end of the season.

Final Managerial Job: Nottingham Forest

Atkinson's last job as a manager was with Nottingham Forest. He was there for the last four months of the 1998–99 season. This time was not successful. In his first home game, he even walked into the wrong team's dugout by mistake! After an 8–1 loss to Manchester United, he joked that it was a "nine-goal thriller."

Atkinson took over on 11 January 1999. Forest was relegated on 24 April. He announced he would resign and retire from football management after the last game of the season.

Ron Atkinson's Broadcasting Career

TV Work

Even while managing, Atkinson worked as a football expert for ITV Sport. After he stopped managing, he continued this role. He often commented on live matches, explaining the game to viewers. He was a main commentator for ITV's coverage of the Champions League, European Championships, and World Cup. He also hosted a show called Extra Time with Ron Atkinson.

In 1997, he appeared as a manager in the TV show Dream Team.

In August 2013, Atkinson was a housemate on the TV show Celebrity Big Brother. He was the second person to leave the show.

Music

In 2002, Atkinson released a Christmas song called "It's Christmas – Let's Give Love a Try." It did not become a hit song.

Other TV Appearances

In 2006, Atkinson was part of a Sky One documentary called Big Ron Manager. This show followed a football club. He also provided commentary for the 2006 World Cup for UKTV G2.

He also took part in a BBC Two show called Excuse My French. In this show, he, a comedian, and a TV presenter learned French in France. His final task was to commentate on a football match in French for a radio station.

He briefly returned to TV as an expert on Football Italia. He also wrote an autobiography called 60 Minutes with Ron Atkinson.

Today, Atkinson is still a football expert. He appears on William Hill's "The Punt" podcast and on Manchester United's channel, MUTV. In 2019, he commented on a six-a-side World Cup final.

Director of Football Role

On 23 January 2007, Atkinson returned to Kettering Town as Director of Football. This was the first club he managed. However, he left the role in April 2007. He disagreed with the club's decision to sack their manager.

Leisure Leagues Ambassador

In December 2018, Atkinson became an ambassador for Leisure Leagues. This company organizes six-a-side football games worldwide. As part of this role, he became the Director of Football for the England six-a-side team.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Achievements

As a Manager

Kettering Town

• Southern League Premier Division: 1972–73
• Southern League Division One North: 1971–72
• Northants Senior Cup: 1972–73

Cambridge United

• Football League Fourth Division: 1976–77

Manchester United

• FA Cup: 1982–83, 1984–85
• FA Charity Shield: 1983

Sheffield Wednesday

• Football League Cup: 1990–91

Aston Villa

• Football League Cup: 1993–94

Individual Awards

• Premier League Manager of the Month: March 1995

See Also

In Spanish: Ron Atkinson para niños

• List of FA Cup winning managers
• Celebrity Big Brother (British series 12)