Ronnie Coyle
Personal information
Full name Ronald Paul Coyle[1]
Date of birth (1964-08-04)4 August 1964
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 12 April 2011(2011-04-12) (aged 46)
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1987 Celtic 2 (0)
1986 → Clyde (loan) 8 (0)
1987 Middlesbrough 3 (0)
1987–1988 Rochdale 24 (1)
1988–1996 Raith Rovers 253 (9)
1996–1997 Ayr United 34 (0)
1997–1998 Albion Rovers 12 (0)
1998–1999 East Fife 26 (0)
1999 Queen's Park 0 (0)
Total 362 (10)
International career
1980 Scotland schoolboys[3]
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ronnie Coyle (4 August 1964 – 12 April 2011)[3] was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a defender.

Early life

Coyle was born in Glasgow and educated at St. Gerard's Secondary School.[3] Coyle played for Celtic Boys Club and the Scotland Under-15 schoolboy honours team, alongside, among others, Paul McStay, John Robertson and Ally Dick, which defeated England 5–4 in 1980.[3]

Career

Coyle began his professional career as a youngster with Celtic.[3] After just two appearances and a loan period with Clyde, Coyle had a brief spell with Middlesbrough before moving to Rochdale.[3]

After a year with Rochdale, Coyle moved to Kirkcaldy club Raith Rovers in 1988.[3] In his eight years with Rovers, Coyle won two First Division titles and a League Cup, also playing in Raith's only season in Europe. After helping Rovers secure a mid-table finish in the Premier Division, Coyle moved on to Ayr United, where he spent a season before similar spells with Albion Rovers and East Fife. Coyle finished his career with Queen's Park.

Coyle – who moved out of football and worked in sales and marketing back in his native Glasgow – was part of a number of former Raith players who lent his weight to the 'Reclaim the Rovers' campaign, taking part in a fundraising walk in the summer of 2005.[4]

In April 2009 Coyle was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia for which he was admitted to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. On 27 March 2011 Raith Rovers hosted a benefit match for him involving their 1994 Coca-Cola Cup winning team and the Celtic runners-up team with Celtic coming out on top 4–2 on penalties after a 3–3 draw.[5] Coyle died just weeks later on 12 April 2011 from the disease he had battled.[6] He was survived by his wife Joan and their three children, Kevin, Briony and Georgia.

Honours

Raith Rovers
1992–93, 1994–95
1994–95
Ayr United
1996–97

References

  1. ↑ "Ronnie Coyle". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ronnie Coyle". The Herald. Glasgow. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Let's get the ball rolling". Fifeonlinetoday.co.uk. 30 June 2005.
  5. ↑ "Fans & Friends Honour Ronnie Coyle". Raith Rovers FC. 28 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ronnie Coyle". Raith Rovers FC. 13 April 2011.
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