Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ronald Paul Coyle | ||
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) | ||
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 | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ronnie Coyle (4 August 1964 – 12 April 2011) 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. 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.
Career
Coyle began his professional career as a youngster with Celtic. After just two appearances and a loan period with Clyde, Coyle had a brief spell with Middlesbrough before moving to Rochdale.
After a year with Rochdale, Coyle moved to Kirkcaldy club Raith Rovers in 1988. 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.
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. Coyle died just weeks later on 12 April 2011 from the disease he had battled. He was survived by his wife Joan and their three children, Kevin, Briony and Georgia.
Honours
- Raith Rovers
- Ayr United
References
- "Ronnie Coyle". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ "Ronnie Coyle". The Herald. Glasgow. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
- "Let's get the ball rolling". Fifeonlinetoday.co.uk. 30 June 2005.
- "Fans & Friends Honour Ronnie Coyle". Raith Rovers FC. 28 March 2011.
- "Ronnie Coyle". Raith Rovers FC. 13 April 2011.
External links
- Ronnie Coyle at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Ronnie Coyle at Soccerbase
- Scottish men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Celtic F.C. players
- Clyde F.C. players
- Middlesbrough F.C. players
- Rochdale A.F.C. players
- Raith Rovers F.C. players
- Ayr United F.C. players
- Albion Rovers F.C. players
- East Fife F.C. players
- Queen's Park F.C. players
- Scottish Football League players
- English Football League players
- 1964 births
- 2011 deaths
- Deaths from leukemia in Scotland
- Footballers from Glasgow
- 20th-century Scottish sportsmen