Kettering Town and Cambridge United Īfter retiring from playing, Atkinson became manager player of non-league Kettering Town in 1971, aged only 32. He was the first ever footballer to captain a club from the Southern League through three divisions of the Football League and played three seasons in the Second Division. He was United's captain through their rise from the Southern League to the Second Division, achieved in only six years from 1962 to 1968. He went on to make over 500 appearances in all competitions as a wing-half for the club, earning, in his playing days the nickname: "The Tank", and scoring a total of fourteen goals. There he played alongside his younger brother Graham. Ītkinson was transferred to Headington United (renamed Oxford United in 1960) in the summer of 1959 on a free transfer. He has referred to then Villa coach Jimmy Hogan as his biggest influence. After beginning his career as a ground staff boy at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was signed by Aston Villa from works team BSA Tools at the age of 17, but never played a first-team match for them. He attended Lea Village Secondary School. After a few years his family moved to Shard End (then in Warwickshire, now an area of Birmingham). As a manager, he won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 19 and the Football League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1991 and Aston Villa in 1994.Ītkinson was born in Liverpool in the Old Swan area of the city with his brother Graham Atkinson who was also a professional footballer. Nicknamed "The Tank" during his playing career, he represented Oxford United for twelve years, and still holds the club record for appearances. Nicknamed "Big Ron", he was regarded as one of Britain's best-known football pundits in the 1990s and early 2000s. Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939) is an English former football player and manager. *Club domestic league appearances and goals
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