English footballer (1934–2010)
Clayton – front row centre – in a England national football team photo before playing against Sweden men's national football team , October 1959.
Ronald Clayton [ 2] (5 August 1934 – 29 October 2010) was an English footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers . He was capped 35 times for England between 1955 and 1960.[ 3]
Clayton, a right half , began his career with Blackburn Rovers (where his elder brother Ken was also a squad member).[ 4] [ 5] He made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in the 1950–51 season, and between then and 1969 made 581 appearances for his only Football League club.[ 3] [ 6] [ 7] He then became player-manager of Morecambe , and also appeared for Great Harwood before retiring.[ 8] [ 9]
At international level, Clayton was capped six times for England under-23 ,[ 10] once for England B ,[ 11] and 35 times at full international level, including five as captain.[ 12] He made his international debut against Northern Ireland in November 1955, and won his last cap against Yugoslavia in May 1960.[ 2] He was part of England's team at the 1958 FIFA World Cup .[ 13]
In 1960 his autobiography 'A Slave – To Soccer' was published.[ 14] On 2 December 1970 Blackburn Rovers recognised his services to the club with them hosting the Ronnie Clayton Testimonial Match with a Manchester City / Liverpool XI playing an International XI.[ 15]
Clayton died in October 2010.[ 16] On 13 August 2011, as a sign of respect to Clayton, it was announced at half-time during the first game of the 2011–12 Premier League season, that The Blackburn End was to be renamed The Ronnie Clayton End at Ewood Park .
In February 2019 he was one of the first seven players to be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.[ 17]
Honours
Blackburn Rovers
See also
References
^ Maurice Golesworth (1965). Soccer Who's Who . The Sportsmans Book Club.
^ a b "Ronnie Clayton" . Englandstats.com . Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ a b "Ronnie Clayton" . UK A–Z Transfers . Neil Brown. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ Player Archive | Kenneth Clayton , BRFCS.com
^ Former Blackburn Rovers player Ken Clayton dies – aged 81 , Lancashire Telegraph, 2 December 2014
^ "Ronnie Clayton Blackburn Rovers FC" . Football Heroes . Sporting Heroes Collections. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ Player Archive | Ronald Clayton , BRFCS.com
^ "Ronnie Clayton 1969–1970" . Morecambe FC – Shrimps Supporters. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ "Great Harwood Legends Ronnie Clayton" . Great Harwood Town F.C. 18 October 2003. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ Courtney, Barrie (27 March 2004). "England – U-23 International Results- Details" . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ Courtney, Barrie (21 March 2004). "England – International Results B-Team – Details" . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ "England's Captains by Match 1946–1960" . England Football Online. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ "England in World Cup 1958 Squad Records" . England Football Online. Retrieved 27 November 2009 .
^ Clayton, Ronnie (1960), A Slave – To Soccer , Stanley Paul
^ Manchester Evening News 3 December 1970 (British Newspaper Archive).
^ "England and Blackburn winger Ronnie Clayton dies" . BBCsport. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010 .
^ Rovers legends inducted into Hall of Fame www.rovers.co.uk, 17 July 2019
^ Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 . London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN 0354 09018 6 .
External links