Ronnie Cope

Ronnie Cope

Personal information
Full name	Ronald Cope
Date of birth	(1934-10-05)5 October 1934
Place of birth	Crewe, Cheshire, England
Date of death	27 August 2016(2016-08-27) (aged 81)
Position(s)	Centre half
Youth career
1950–1951	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1951–1961	Manchester United	93	(2)
1961–1963	Luton Town	28	(0)
1963–1968	Northwich Victoria	?	(10)
1968–1969	Winsford United	?	(?)
1968–1969	Nantwich	?	(1)
1969–1971	Northwich Victoria	?	(0)
Managerial career
1965–1966	Northwich Victoria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Manchester United F.C. in 1960 – from the left, standing: Maurice Setters, Bill Foulkes, Ronnie Cope, Harry Gregg, Albert Scanlon, Bobby Charlton. Front row from the left: Warren Bradley, Albert Quixall, Dennis Viollet, Shay Brennan and Joe Carolan.

Ronald Cope (5 October 1934 – 27 August 2016) was an English footballer from Crewe, Cheshire, who played as a centre half-back in the Football League for Manchester United and Luton Town.^[1]

Cope played four times for England Schoolboys in 1950.^[2] He joined Manchester United as an amateur in the same year, turned professional in 1951, and made his debut for the club on 29 September 1956 against Arsenal at Highbury.^[3] However, he only gained a regular first-team place after the Munich air disaster.^[4] He lost his first-team place to Bill Foulkes in October 1960,^{[citation needed]} and left United for Luton Town in August 1961 on a £10,000 transfer. He left the professional scene two years later, although he continued to play at non-league level for Northwich Victoria and also served the Cheshire club as manager.^[3]

His father, George, had played for Crewe Alexandra, and he was considered a stand-out player in the squad, always being where he was needed.^{[citation needed]} Like his father, Cope also played Cheshire County League football for Nantwich.^[5]

Cope died on 27 August 2016.^[6][7]

Honours

Manchester United

• FA Cup runner-up: 1957–58^[8]

References

1. "Ron Cope". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
2. Roberts, Jan (16 June 2004). "Local heroes". Ellesmere Port Pioneer. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
3. "Ronald Cope". MUFCInfo. Mark Graham. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
4. "1957/58". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
5. Chatwin, Michael (2020). Ultimate Book of Nantwich Town Football Club. Empire. ISBN 978-0-9563068-2-1. OCLC 1199329275.
6. OBITUARY: RONNIE COPE
7. COPE RONALD : Obituary
8. Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN 0354 09018 6.

External links

• Ron Cope at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database