Ron Burgess (footballer)

For the American football player, see Ronnie Burgess.

Ron Burgess

Personal information
Full name	Ronald Burgess
Date of birth	(1917-04-09)9 April 1917
Place of birth	Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Wales
Date of death
Place of death	Swansea, Wales
Position(s)	Left Half
Youth career
	Cwm Villa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1938–1954	Tottenham Hotspur	297	(14)
1954–1956	Swansea Town	47	(1)
Total		344	(15)
International career
	Wales	32	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Arthur Ronald "Ronnie" Burgess (9 April 1917 – 14 February 2005) was a Wales international footballer, who played in the wing half position. Burgess worked as a miner before joining Tottenham Hotspur from his local team Cwm Villa. He went on to captain the league championship winning Spurs team of the 1951 season, the year after he had helped them win the Division 2 crown.

Burgess captained the Wales national football team and won 32 caps for his country as a left half. He also played for the Great Britain team against the Rest of Europe in 1947.

Burgess joined Swansea Town in 1954 as a player and played until 1956, taking over as manager of Swansea Town from 1955 to 1958. He was then manager of Watford from 1959 to 1963, where he steered the club to its first-ever promotion in his first full season in charge, and nearly managed a second successive promotion the following year. However, Watford's league form and Burgess's popularity with the fans plummeted after he sold star player Cliff Holton, and he was sacked when the club were nearly relegated in 1963.

Burgess also acted as caretaker manager of the Wales national team for one match in 1965 due to the unavailability of team manager Dave Bowen.

Family

His nephew, Clive Burgess was a Wales international rugby union player.