Ron Flowers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ron Flowers
MBE

Flowers (right) in 1964, shaking hands with Daan Schrijvers
Personal information
Full name	Ronald Flowers
Date of birth	(1934-07-28)28 July 1934
Place of birth	Edlington, Doncaster, England
Date of death	12 November 2021(2021-11-12) (aged 87)
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
	Doncaster Rovers
1950–1952	Wath Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1952–1967	Wolverhampton Wanderers	467	(33)
1967–1969	Northampton Town	62	(4)
1969–1971	Telford United
Total		529	(37)
National team
1955	England U23	2	(0)
1955–1966	England	49	(10)
Teams managed
1968–1969	Northampton Town (player/manager)
1971	Wellington Town (player/manager)
Honours Men's football Representing  England FIFA World Cup Winner 1966 England
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Ronald Flowers MBE (born July 28, 1934 – died November 12, 2021) was an English professional footballer. He mostly played as a midfielder. Ron Flowers is best known for his time playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was also a part of the England squad that won the 1966 World Cup. He was the older brother of another footballer, John Flowers.

Playing for Clubs: Ron Flowers' Career Highlights

Ron Flowers started his football journey at the Doncaster Rovers academy. His father had also played semi-professionally there. While he was good at football, his father insisted he also learn a trade. So, Ron trained as an apprentice at the Doncaster rail sheds.

Later, Doncaster released him, and he joined Wath Wanderers. This team was a "nursery side" for Wolverhampton Wanderers, meaning they helped young players develop. The successful Wolves manager, Stan Cullis, soon noticed Ron. Within a year, Ron moved to Wolves' main stadium, Molineux. He quickly joined the first team. His first game was on September 20, 1952, against Blackpool, and he even scored a goal! Before this, he had served in the RAF.

Success with Wolverhampton Wanderers

At Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ron Flowers played as an attacking midfielder. He helped the team win three league championships and one FA Cup. He played a total of 515 games for the club and scored 37 goals. Towards the end of his time at Wolves, he started playing a more defensive role.

In September 1967, Ron left Wolves to join Northampton Town. There, he became a player-manager, meaning he played for the team and also managed it. He finished his playing career at Wellington Town, a non-league club later known as Telford United. He was also a player-manager there. Under his management, the team won the 1970–71 FA Trophy in 1971. After being sacked that same year, he retired from football to run a sports shop in Wolverhampton.

Playing for England: Ron Flowers' International Games

England national football team at Empire Stadium, London, 11 April 1959. Ron Flowers is standing third from the right.

Ron Flowers played 49 games for England and scored ten goals. These games are called "caps." His first international game was on May 15, 1955, in a friendly match against France, which England lost 1-0.

He played in the 1962 World Cup. In that tournament, he scored two goals from penalty kicks in the first two group games. From November 1958 to April 1963, Ron played in 40 England international matches in a row. Only Billy Wright has played in more consecutive games for England.

Ron Flowers also scored England's first goal ever in a European Football Championships game. This happened in a qualifying match against France at Hillsborough on October 3, 1962. He was very good at penalties, scoring all six that he took for England.

The 1966 World Cup Win

Even though Ron Flowers' last game for England was before the 1966 World Cup finals, he was part of the squad that won the tournament. He was the oldest player in the squad and had earned his first cap the earliest.

Ron almost played in the final match. Jack Charlton, who was supposed to play, got a cold the night before the game against West Germany. England's manager, Alf Ramsey, told Ron that if Charlton wasn't better by morning, Ron would play. After a sleepless night, Ron found out that Charlton was fine, so Ron didn't get to play in the tournament.

At the 1966 World Cup Final, only the 11 players who were on the field at the end of the game received medals. However, after a campaign by Football Association, FIFA agreed to give medals to all squad members. Ron Flowers received his World Cup medal from Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street on June 10, 2009.

In 2009, an article in England's official match program for a World Cup qualifying game said that Ron Flowers was one of England's best ever penalty takers, sharing this honor with Alan Shearer. He scored every single one of the six penalties he took for England.

About Ron Flowers' Life

Ron Flowers' younger brother, John Flowers, and his uncle, George Flowers, both played over 100 professional games for Doncaster Rovers. In March 2017, Ron Flowers' grandson, Harry, signed a contract with the Premier League team Burnley. Ron's sister-in-law is Maureen Flowers, a former darts World Champion. Ron had a wife and two sons.

Ron Flowers was given the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours. This was to recognize his great contributions to football.

Ron Flowers passed away on November 12, 2021, at the age of 87.

Achievements and Awards

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• First Division (Top League):
  • Winners: 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59
  • Runners-up: 1954–55, 1959–60
• FA Cup: 1959–60
• FA Charity Shield: 1954 (shared), 1959, 1960 (shared)
• Second Division (Second League):
  • Runners-up 1966–67

England

• World Cup: 1966

Images for kids

• 

  Flowers (right) in 1964, shaking hands with Daan Schrijvers

• 

  England national football team at Empire Stadium, London, 11 April 1959. From the left, standing: Ronnie Clayton, Billy Wright (captain), Don Howe, Eddie Hopkinson, Ron Flowers, Graham Shaw, Joe Shaw; front row: Bryan Douglas, Peter Broadbent, Bobby Charlton, Johnny Haynes and Doug Holden

See also

In Spanish: Ronald Flowers para niños