The Indy (if not already posted) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/o...he-best-centre-forward-in-europe-8638550.html
From today's Times: Ron Davies. Welsh footballer who was twice the first divisionâs top scorer and was described by Sir Matt Busby as the âfinest centre forward in Europeâ The one-time Southampton and Wales striker Ron Davies was the First Divisionâs top scorer in back-to-back seasons in the 1960s. Renowned for his heading ability, he netted 153 times in 281 appearances for the Saints, and famously scored all four goals in Southamptonâs 4-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in 1969. That performance prompted Sir Matt Busby to call him âthe finest centre forward in Europeâ. Ronald Tudor Davies was born and raised in Holywell, Flintshire, and signed for Chester City in 1959. The Fourth Division outfit encouraged the strapping 6ft 1in youngster to leap hurdles in army boots, in order to improve his spring. âWhen I took those boots off, I felt I could jump over the Moon,â he later recalled. After 44 goals in 94 league games he was transferred in 1962 to Luton Town, and later to Norwich City. His 58 goals in 113 games for the Second Division side earned him a transfer to newly promoted Southampton in 1966 for a club record £55,000. It proved a smart move for an outfit preparing for life in the top tier, as Davies netted 12 goals in ten successive games. He finished as the leagueâs top scorer in the 1966-67 season with 37, a tally that helped Southampton to narrowly escape relegation. He repeated the achievement in 1967-68, albeit sharing the accolade with George Best. Davies made his international debut in 1964, in a 3-2 home defeat to Northern Ireland in Swansea. He won 29 caps for Wales, scoring nine goals, although the 1960s were an unremarkable era for a nation that had punched well above its weight in the 1950s. Southamptonâs 4-1 victory over Manchester United in August 1969 remains, on the other hand, memorable. Matt Busby had recently departed but the team still contained the likes of Best, Law and Charlton. âWe went up there without any expectations. It was just after the start of the season, we had lost our first two games and they were a great team with great players,â Davies later recalled. âI think they went into the game with the attitude, âWell, itâs only Southampton â we can beat them any time we likeâ.â United duly took the lead, but Southampton hit back with two goals before half-time â and two after. Davies scored three of them with his head. âI have still got the tape,â he later said, âand when I see the way I could jump in the air, I do think, âHell man, that was a talentâ.â After a move to Portsmouth he was signed by Manchester United in 1974, but his time there was beset by injuries and he made only eight appearances. Encouraged by George Best and the promise of decent wages, Davies joined the then promising North American Soccer League (NASL), appearing for the Los Angeles Aztecs and Seattle Sounders. He later settled in Florida with his wife Chrissie, where he spend coached high school and semi-professional teams. More recently he moved to a trailer park in New Mexico. In spite of poor health, he remained cheery in Albuquerque, living with his two cats. A part-time art school student, Davies was also, as Charles Buchanâs Football Monthly once related, âa cartoonist of no mean abilityâ. His wife, Chrissie, predeceased him and he is survived by two daughters. Ron Davies, footballer, was born on May 25, 1942. He died on May 24, 2013, aged 70
Love the bit about Ron leaping hurdles in army boots, to improve his spring. Should we try that with Rickie?
Thanks for posting up the Times obituary St.G. I recommend people click on The Independent obituary though, as posted by Qwerty. They've added detail, over and above, the usual stuff.
UPDATE: This Friday, at 4pm, BBC Radio 4 are doing "The Last Word" - a 30 minute discussion/obituary in honour of Ron.
In which case this thread gets re-stickied until Friday so as to remind people to tune in. Well done -DTLW. Good find. Apologies for leaving the thread closed. Bit of brain fade there.
Was searching the saintsfc hashtag and stumbled upon this piece about Ron Davies: http://www.tibsnews.com/tibs-newsbytes/fsom-ron-davies-someone-luis-suarez-can-study/ and found it to be quite a good read.
A fabulous read and thanks for finding it. Ron has always been my footballing hero from the very first time I saw him play.
Nice read but very inaccurate. However, if the Daily Fail can get a few things wrong, why can't a blogger..?
I checked on it and sad to say, I don't think so. Go to the Radio 4 section of the BBC iPlayer and look up [The] Last Word.
Tom Sharpe - Author of Wilt, Blott on the Landscape, Porterhouse Blue, etc... has died. Tom Wolfe - Author of The Right Stuff, Bonfire of the Vanities, etc... hasn't died [yet as far as I know].
Good that it was just postponed. If anyone misses the live broadcast, remember that it can always be listened to later on the iPlayer, and I believe The Last Word programme can always be downloaded as a podcast, so it's an easy way to keep it as a memory of Ron Davies. You can keep any BBC radio programme simply by recording it, of course, but downloading a podcast is just the BBC making it easy for you.
