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
Position(s)	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)
Managerial career
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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939), also known as "Big Ron", is an English former football player and manager. After his time on the field, he became a well-known football expert on television.

During his playing days, he was nicknamed "The Tank". He played for Oxford United for twelve years and holds the club record for the most games played. As a manager, he had great success. He won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1983 and 1985. He also won the Football League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1991 and Aston Villa in 1994.

Playing Career

Ron Atkinson was born in Liverpool, England. His family later moved near Birmingham. He started his career as a young player at Wolverhampton Wanderers and then signed with Aston Villa at age 17. However, he never played for Aston Villa's first team.

In 1959, Atkinson joined Headington United, which was renamed Oxford United a year later. He played as a wing-half, a type of midfielder. He played over 500 games for the club and was their captain. He led the team as it climbed from the Southern League up to the Second Division in just six years.

Managerial Career

Atkinson in 2007.

After retiring as a player, Atkinson became a successful manager. He started at non-league Kettering Town in 1971. He then moved to Cambridge United and helped them win the Fourth Division title in 1977.

West Bromwich Albion

In 1978, Atkinson became the manager of West Bromwich Albion in the top division. He famously signed Brendon Batson, who played alongside Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis. They were three of the first black players to regularly play in the top division of English football.

Under Atkinson, West Brom finished third in the league in the 1978–79 season. They also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. One of their most famous wins was a 5–3 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Manchester United

In 1981, Atkinson became the manager of Manchester United. Fans hoped he could bring success back to the famous club. He signed star players like Bryan Robson and Frank Stapleton. He also gave a debut to a talented young player named Norman Whiteside.

Atkinson's time at Manchester United was successful. The team won the FA Cup in 1983 and 1985. They also finished in the top four of the league for five years in a row. In the 1985-86 season, the team won their first ten league games. However, they couldn't win the league title.

Despite his cup wins, the club decided to make a change. Atkinson was dismissed in November 1986. He was the most successful Manchester United manager since the legendary Sir Matt Busby.

Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa

Atkinson later managed Sheffield Wednesday from 1989 to 1991. He led them to promotion back to the First Division. In 1991, they also won the League Cup, beating his old club Manchester United in the final.

He then moved to Aston Villa. He guided them to a second-place finish in the first ever FA Premier League season in 1992–93. In 1994, he led Villa to another League Cup victory. He was sacked in November 1994 after a poor run of results.

Later Career

Atkinson went on to manage Coventry City, helping them avoid relegation from the Premier League. He also had a second, short spell at Sheffield Wednesday and a final job at Nottingham Forest before retiring from management in 1999.

Broadcasting Career

After retiring from management, Atkinson became a popular football pundit for ITV Sport. He was a co-commentator for many big matches, including the Champions League, World Cup, and European Championships. His fun and chatty style was well-known to football fans.

In 2004, Atkinson's television career ended. He made an offensive comment about a player while he thought his microphone was turned off. The comment was broadcast in some countries, and he resigned from his job at ITV.

Since then, Atkinson has appeared on some reality TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother. He also works as a pundit for Manchester United's TV channel, MUTV.

Managerial statistics

Honours

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

• Premier League Manager of the Month: March 1995

See also

In Spanish: Ron Atkinson para niños