Ron Saunders

The first manager to take charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion.

Ronald Saunders (6 November 1932 – 7 December 2019) was an English football player and manager. He played for Everton, Tonbridge Angels, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Watford and Charlton Athletic during a 16-year playing career, before moving into management. He managed seven clubs in 20 years, and he was the first manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, the three rival clubs based in and around the city of Birmingham.

Quick Facts

Full name: Ronald Saunders
Born: 6 November 1932
Birthplace: Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
Died: 7 December 2019
Position: Forward
Total caps: 445
Total goals: 246

Lore & Background

Saunders was an old-fashioned, hard-shooting centre forward who scored 246 goals in 16 years for Everton, Tonbridge Angels, Gillingham, Portsmouth, Watford and Charlton Athletic. He was leading goalscorer for six consecutive seasons at Portsmouth and his goals were a key factor in helping Pompey win the Third Division title in 1962. He remains their third highest goalscorer. He retired from full-time playing in 1967, when with Charlton.

As a manager, he first tasted success at Norwich City, guiding them to the Second Division title in 1972. He resigned as Norwich manager on 17 November 1973. Five days later, he accepted an offer to take over at Manchester City. He was dismissed three weeks before the end of the season.

The following month he joined Second Division side Aston Villa as manager. He guided Villa to promotion to the First Division in his first season, also winning two League Cup titles, in 1975 and 1977. In 1980–81, he guided Villa to their first First Division title for 71 years. He resigned from Villa on 9 February 1982.

At the time, Villa were mid-table in the First Division but had reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup. He moved straight to Villa's local rivals, Birmingham City. In January 1986, Saunders walked out on struggling Birmingham to take charge of local rivals and fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion. He was unable to stop Albion from sliding into the Second Division and was dismissed in September 1987. This was his last managerial role.

Reader's Guide

Saunders managed seven clubs: Yeovil Town, Norwich City, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, and Oxford United. He was involved in football for 36 consecutive years; he left his final managerial role, at West Bromwich Albion, at the age of 54. He died on 7 December 2019, aged 87.

Did You Know?

He remains Portsmouth's third highest goalscorer.
He appeared at Villa Park in 1994 as manager of a Villa side drawn mostly from players who had played in the 1982 European Cup final, in a testimonial for Tony Barton.
He was the guest of honour at Villa Park in December 2006 for a match against Manchester United.