Full name Ronald Leslie Rooke Name Ronnie Rooke Date of death July 1985 Role Footballer | Years Team Died July 1985 | |
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Date of birth (1911-12-07)7 December 1911 | ||
Ronnie Rooke
Ronald Leslie Rooke (7 December 1911 – July 1985) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward either side of World War II, and who later became a football manager. Rooke featured for clubs such as Crystal Palace, Fulham and Arsenal in his playing career. He was at the helm of Palace, twice at Bedford Town and at teams Haywards Heath Town and Addlestone.
Contents
- Ronnie Rooke
- Legend that is Ronnie Rooke
- Playing career
- Managerial career
- Personal life
- Club
- Individual
- References
Legend that is Ronnie Rooke!
Playing career
Born in Guildford, Surrey, Rooke began his playing career with local club Guildford City, followed by a spell with Woking. In 1933 he joined Crystal Palace, who were at the time in the Third Division South. A centre forward, he mainly played for the Palace reserve side, only playing eighteen league matches and scoring four goals between 1932 and 1936. He then moved to Second Division side Fulham in November 1936. He was the club's leading scorer for three consecutive seasons. In all he scored 57 goals in 87 league matches, including all six goals in a 6-0 FA Cup demolition of Bury, of which is a club record.
Rooke served in the RAF during World War II and gained one Wartime International cap for England. In 1946, at the age of 35, he was signed by Arsenal.
In that 1946-47 debut season Rooke netted 21 times from 24 appearances. Rooke then scored 33 league goals for Arsenal in 1947-48, becoming the First Division's top scorer and thus golden boot winner that season. Rooke's scoring feat remains Arsenal's all time record for the most goals scored in a postwar footballing season. His tally of goals also helped propel Arsenal to win the First Division title of 1948.
Managerial career
Rooke left Arsenal in the summer of 1949 to rejoin former club Crystal Palace as player-manager. His first season as manager was moderately successful as Palace finished seventh in the Third Division South. The next season began poorly and in November 1950 he moved on to Bedford Town. He initially featured as a player for the club, before being appointed player-manager in February 1951, a job he held until December 1953. During his spell at the club Rooke had made 136 appearances, scoring 97 goals altogether.
He then moved on to become player-manager at Haywards Heath Town and Addlestone, before returning to Bedford in 1959. Although his second spell saw him appointed only as a manager, he made two first team appearances when the club were lacking players. He was sacked by the board after the club lost an FA Cup match against Hitchin Town in September 1961.
Personal life
He later worked at Heathrow Airport and Whitbread brewery, and died in July 1985.