Ron Tindall
Encyclopedia
Ronald Albert Ernest "Ron" Tindall (born 23 September 1935) is a retired English
footballer
who played as a striker. He was also an accomplished cricket
er, playing for Surrey
.
in 1952 at the age of 16. He only made two appearances for the first team before joining Chelsea's
new youth system
in 1953. Two years later, he scored on his full debut for the club against West Bromwich Albion
in the First Division
. Within a year, Tindall had established himself in the Chelsea first team and, though the side's form was often erratic, he struck up a prolific strike partnership with the emerging Jimmy Greaves
. In the 1960-61
season, they scored 59 goals between them (16 for Tindall, 43 for Greaves), a club record which still stands.
By the end of 1961, both Greaves and manager Ted Drake
had left Chelsea and Tommy Docherty
was appointed in Drake's place; Tindall became surplus to requirements as Docherty concentrated on re-building the Chelsea side around the new generation of youngsters. He was sold to West Ham United
in November 1961 in part exchange for Andy Malcolm
. He ended his Chelsea career with 69 goals from 174 games, making him 17th in Chelsea's all-time goalscorers list.
Tindall's time at West Ham was brief, and he soon moved on to play for Reading
, where he scored 12 goals in 36 league games before moving to Portsmouth
in 1964. Tindall played out the remainder of his career at Portsmouth, making 162 league appearances before retiring in 1969. He was appointed manager of Portsmouth in 1970, but was hampered by the club's financial problems and had left the job by 1973. He was caretaker manager
of Portsmouth for two games in 1974 following John Mortimore
's departure.
Tindall now resides in Perth, Western Australia
, a right-handed middle order batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. His first-class
career with Surrey lasted from 1956 to 1966, though he only played in three matches prior to 1960. He was awarded his county cap
in 1962.
He scored 5446 runs in first-class matches at an average of 24.86, including two centuries and with a highest score of 109 not out. He reached one thousand runs in a season for the only time in 1963. He took 150 wickets at 32.38, with best figures in an innings of 5-41. Easily his most successful season with the ball was 1962, when he took 66 wickets at 23.92. He played in ten List A matches between 1963 and 1966, all in the Gillette Cup. In those matches he scored 218 runs at 24.22, with a top score of 73. He bowled a total of only 22 overs in the ten matches, taking only two wickets and conceding 118 runs.
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played as a striker. He was also an accomplished cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, playing for Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
.
Football career
Tindall played youth football for Camberley Wanderers when the club formed in 1950. He began his senior career when he joined Camberley F.C.Camberley Town F.C.
Camberley Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from the town of Camberley in Surrey. Founded in 1895 as St. Michael's, Camberley F.C., the club was renamed Camberley & Yorktown F.C. in 1901...
in 1952 at the age of 16. He only made two appearances for the first team before joining Chelsea's
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
new youth system
Youth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
in 1953. Two years later, he scored on his full debut for the club against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Within a year, Tindall had established himself in the Chelsea first team and, though the side's form was often erratic, he struck up a prolific strike partnership with the emerging Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
. In the 1960-61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
season, they scored 59 goals between them (16 for Tindall, 43 for Greaves), a club record which still stands.
By the end of 1961, both Greaves and manager Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
had left Chelsea and Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
was appointed in Drake's place; Tindall became surplus to requirements as Docherty concentrated on re-building the Chelsea side around the new generation of youngsters. He was sold to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in November 1961 in part exchange for Andy Malcolm
Andy Malcolm
Andy Malcolm is a former professional footballer.Born a short distance from Upton Park Malcolm joined West Ham in 1948 from Dury Falls Senior School in Hornchurch...
. He ended his Chelsea career with 69 goals from 174 games, making him 17th in Chelsea's all-time goalscorers list.
Tindall's time at West Ham was brief, and he soon moved on to play for Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, where he scored 12 goals in 36 league games before moving to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in 1964. Tindall played out the remainder of his career at Portsmouth, making 162 league appearances before retiring in 1969. He was appointed manager of Portsmouth in 1970, but was hampered by the club's financial problems and had left the job by 1973. He was caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
of Portsmouth for two games in 1974 following John Mortimore
John Mortimore (footballer)
John Mortimore is an English former association football player and manager. He played as a centre half in the Football League for Chelsea, with whom he scored 10 goals from 279 games in all competitions between 1956 and 1965 and won the 1965 Football League Cup, and for Queens Park Rangers...
's departure.
Tindall now resides in Perth, Western Australia
Cricket career
Upon signing for Chelsea, Tindall negotiated a special arrangement with the club, whereby he was allowed to miss the first and last months of the football season in order to play cricket for Surrey. Tindall was an all-rounderAll-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, a right-handed middle order batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. His first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
career with Surrey lasted from 1956 to 1966, though he only played in three matches prior to 1960. He was awarded his county cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in 1962.
He scored 5446 runs in first-class matches at an average of 24.86, including two centuries and with a highest score of 109 not out. He reached one thousand runs in a season for the only time in 1963. He took 150 wickets at 32.38, with best figures in an innings of 5-41. Easily his most successful season with the ball was 1962, when he took 66 wickets at 23.92. He played in ten List A matches between 1963 and 1966, all in the Gillette Cup. In those matches he scored 218 runs at 24.22, with a top score of 73. He bowled a total of only 22 overs in the ten matches, taking only two wickets and conceding 118 runs.