Billy Ronson
Encyclopedia
William "Billy" Ronson is a retired English
footballer who spent twelve seasons in the English leagues, one in the North American Soccer League
, six in the Major Indoor Soccer League and another seven years in a variety of lower division indoor and outdoor leagues in the United States
. He also coached at the collegiate and professional levels.
stalwart Percy Ronson, began his career at Blackpool
, making his debut in March 1975 against Nottingham Forest
. He originally struggled to break into the side but eventually managed to establish himself in the first team. In 1978, he went on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League
. He was unable to prevent the club's relegation during the 1977–78 season and spent one more year at the club before joining Cardiff City
for a fee of £130,000, a club record at the time. He missed very few games in his two years at Ninian Park
before growing disenchanted with the club's lack of progress and leaving to join Wrexham.
His only season at Wrexham ended in relegation, and he left to join Barnsley
. He became popular at the Yorkshire
club before falling out with manager Allan Clarke
and being loaned to Birmingham City
before being released and returning to Blackpool on non-contract terms. He moved to America in 1986 to join the Baltimore Blast
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He remained with the Blast for six seasons. The Blast collapsed at the end of the 1991-1992 season. In February 2009, the reconstituted Blast inducted Ronson into the team's Hall of Fame. In June 1992, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer League
. In 1994, he joined the Baltimore Bays
of the USISL. On November 19, 1992, he joined the Detroit Rockers
of the National Professional Soccer League. In the fall of 1993, he signed with the Baltimore Bays
as that team prepared for the 1993-1994 USISL indoor season. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year. He continued with the Bays, playing the 1994 outdoor and 1994-1995 indoor seasons. On July 26, 1995, he signed with the Pittsburgh Stingers
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
. In August 1995, Ronson was in an auto accident which put him out for the rest of the season. In June 1996, he joined the Washington Warthogs
of the CISL. At the end of the 1996 summer indoor season, Ronson returned to the Bays were he became a player-coach for the 1996-1997 USISL indoor season. He was the league's points leader and MVP. In December 1998, he joined the Baltimore Spirit on a 15 day contract.
NCAA Division III women's soccer team. He coached the team through the 1997 season, compiling a 41-44-4 record. In 1994, he became and assistant coach with the Baltimore Bays
. He left the Bays in 1995 to play for the Pittsburgh Stingers
then returned as a player-head coach of the Bays for the 1996-1997 indoor season. After retiring, Ronson had spells as assistant coach and later assistant general manager at Baltimore Blast. In 2009 he was inducted into the Baltimore Blast hall of fame.
He currently works for American company Action Business Systems.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer who spent twelve seasons in the English leagues, one in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, six in the Major Indoor Soccer League and another seven years in a variety of lower division indoor and outdoor leagues in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He also coached at the collegiate and professional levels.
Playing career
Ronson, the son of FleetwoodFleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
stalwart Percy Ronson, began his career at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, making his debut in March 1975 against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. He originally struggled to break into the side but eventually managed to establish himself in the first team. In 1978, he went on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. He was unable to prevent the club's relegation during the 1977–78 season and spent one more year at the club before joining Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
for a fee of £130,000, a club record at the time. He missed very few games in his two years at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
before growing disenchanted with the club's lack of progress and leaving to join Wrexham.
His only season at Wrexham ended in relegation, and he left to join Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. He became popular at the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
club before falling out with manager Allan Clarke
Allan Clarke (footballer)
Allan John Clarke , nicknamed "Sniffer", is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United and Barnsley, and won 19 international caps for England.-Early career:Clarke started his career at Walsall and made his debut aged 17, in 1963...
and being loaned to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
before being released and returning to Blackpool on non-contract terms. He moved to America in 1986 to join the Baltimore Blast
Baltimore Blast (1980-92)
Baltimore Blast were a longtime member of the Major Indoor Soccer League. From 1978 to 1980, the team was played as Houston Summit but moved prior to the 1980-81 season. The team won the league's championship in 1984. The team folded when the MISL ceased operation in the summer of 1992.-History:The...
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He remained with the Blast for six seasons. The Blast collapsed at the end of the 1991-1992 season. In February 2009, the reconstituted Blast inducted Ronson into the team's Hall of Fame. In June 1992, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
. In 1994, he joined the Baltimore Bays
Baltimore Bays
The first Baltimore Bays were a professional soccer team based out of Baltimore, Maryland. It was one of ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League in 1967. The team would become a part of the North American Soccer League , which was the result of a merger between the NPSL and...
of the USISL. On November 19, 1992, he joined the Detroit Rockers
Detroit Rockers
The Detroit Rockers were an indoor soccer team in the National Professional Soccer League from 1990 to 2001. They played in Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit, Michigan as well as The Palace of Auburn Hills and Compuware Sports Arena in the suburbs...
of the National Professional Soccer League. In the fall of 1993, he signed with the Baltimore Bays
Baltimore Bays (USISL)
-USISL:The third Baltimore Bays were a soccer team based out of Baltimore, Maryland that played in the USISL. They became the Eastern Shore Sharks in 1998 when they moved to Salisbury, Maryland.-Year-by-year:...
as that team prepared for the 1993-1994 USISL indoor season. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year. He continued with the Bays, playing the 1994 outdoor and 1994-1995 indoor seasons. On July 26, 1995, he signed with the Pittsburgh Stingers
Pittsburgh Stingers
Pittsburgh Stingers were a professional indoor soccer team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1994–1995. The two season that the Stingers played they avg. attendance was 3,091 per game....
of the Continental Indoor Soccer League
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League was an indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.-History:When the Major Soccer League folded in the summer of 1992, two of its former teams joined a group of hockey and basketball arena owners led by Ron Weinstein who wanted to create a league to...
. In August 1995, Ronson was in an auto accident which put him out for the rest of the season. In June 1996, he joined the Washington Warthogs
Washington Warthogs
The Washington Warthogs were a professional indoor soccer team in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1994-1997. They played their home games in the US Airways Arena in Landover, Maryland, an arena they shared with the Washington Capitals and Washington Bullets.The Warthogs featured the...
of the CISL. At the end of the 1996 summer indoor season, Ronson returned to the Bays were he became a player-coach for the 1996-1997 USISL indoor season. He was the league's points leader and MVP. In December 1998, he joined the Baltimore Spirit on a 15 day contract.
Coaching
In 1993, Ronson became the head coach of the Goucher CollegeGoucher College
Goucher College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts college located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson in unincorporated Baltimore County, Maryland, on a 287 acre campus. The school has approximately 1,475 undergraduate students studying in 31 majors and six interdisciplinary...
NCAA Division III women's soccer team. He coached the team through the 1997 season, compiling a 41-44-4 record. In 1994, he became and assistant coach with the Baltimore Bays
Baltimore Bays (USISL)
-USISL:The third Baltimore Bays were a soccer team based out of Baltimore, Maryland that played in the USISL. They became the Eastern Shore Sharks in 1998 when they moved to Salisbury, Maryland.-Year-by-year:...
. He left the Bays in 1995 to play for the Pittsburgh Stingers
Pittsburgh Stingers
Pittsburgh Stingers were a professional indoor soccer team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They played in the Continental Indoor Soccer League from 1994–1995. The two season that the Stingers played they avg. attendance was 3,091 per game....
then returned as a player-head coach of the Bays for the 1996-1997 indoor season. After retiring, Ronson had spells as assistant coach and later assistant general manager at Baltimore Blast. In 2009 he was inducted into the Baltimore Blast hall of fame.
He currently works for American company Action Business Systems.