Ronnie Bird (footballer)

Ronald Philip Bird (27 December 1941 – 20 March 2005) was an English professional footballer who scored 66 goals from 269 appearances in the Football League, most notably for Bradford Park Avenue and Cardiff City.[2]

Ronnie Bird
Personal information
Full name Ronald Philip Bird[1]
Date of birth (1941-12-27)27 December 1941
Place of birth Birmingham, England
Date of death 20 March 2005(2005-03-20) (aged 63)
Place of death Cardiff, Wales
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1959–1961 Birmingham City 0 (0)
1961–1965 Bradford Park Avenue 129 (39)
1965–1966 Bury 13 (3)
1966–1971 Cardiff City 107 (24)
1971–1972 Crewe Alexandra 20 (0)
1972–1974 Gloucester City 89 (21)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Erdington, Birmingham,[3] Bird played football at youth level for England alongside Bobby Moore. He began his club career as an apprentice at his hometown club Birmingham City, turning professional in January 1959 at the age of 18,[3] but found first team chances hard to come by and left to join Bradford Park Avenue, being signed by manager Jimmy Scoular in June 1961. He quickly established himself in the side and helped the club to retain their Division Three status after being promoted the previous year. He became a prolific penalty scorer at the club and his 14 penalties scored in league football remains a club record.[4]

He eventually left Bradford in 1965 to join Bury but only spent seven months at Gigg Lane before being signed again by Jimmy Scoular, this time at his new club Cardiff City for £5,000. He helped the club to win the Welsh Cup in his first season, one of three times he won the competition at Cardiff, and gained a reputation for scoring spectacular goals.[5] He left Cardiff after five seasons at the club, after falling out with management over not being selected in Cardiff's Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final match against Real Madrid,[6] and joined Crewe Alexandra where he spent one year before dropping into non-league football with Gloucester City. He scored 21 times during two seasons with the Tigers, and was appointed club captain for the 1973–74 season.[7]

Later life

After retiring from football he took over as manager at Ebbw Vale and Bridgend Town before later returning to work with Jimmy Scoular as his assistant manager at Newport County. He left his post at the club during the 1978–79 season and later took over as landlord of the Golden Cross and Romilly Arms pubs in Cardiff.[3][6] His experience in the trade prompted Cardiff City to hire him to take charge of the several bars in the club's ground and he later took up a number of positions at the club including match day hospitality manager, manager of the players' restaurant and a commentator for the club's website. He was taken ill in 2003, originally thinking he was suffering from flu,[6] and was diagnosed with leukaemia.[8] He subsequently stepped down from his various roles at the club, although after recovering somewhat he later returned to commentate on matches again before he died in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in 2005.[3]

Honours

Cardiff City

References
  1. "Ronnie Bird". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  2. "Ronnie Bird". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. "Ronnie Bird". Cardiff City F.C. 22 March 2005. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.
  4. "Penalties" (PDF). Bradford Park Avenue history. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  5. Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 22–23. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
  6. Risoli, Mario (22 March 2005). "Former Ninian ace Bird dies, 63". Western Mail. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
  7. "Ronnie Bird". Tiger Roar. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  8. "City legend Ronnie: My Battle with cancer". South Wales Echo. 28 October 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2016 – via thefreelibrary.com.
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