Ronnie Coyle
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ronald Paul Coyle[1] | ||
Date of birth | 4 August 1964 | ||
Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 12 April 2011 | (aged 46)||
Place of death | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
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[2] | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ronnie Coyle (4 August 1964 – 12 April 2011)[2] 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.[2] 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.[2]
Career
Coyle began his professional career as a youngster with Celtic.[2] After just two appearances and a loan period with Clyde, Coyle had a brief spell with Middlesbrough before moving to Rochdale.[2]
After a year with Rochdale, Coyle moved to Kirkcaldy club Raith Rovers in 1988.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] Coyle died just weeks later on 12 April 2011 from the disease he had battled.[5] 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ronnie Coyle". The Herald. 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
- Use dmy dates from July 2013
- Scottish footballers
- 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 cancer in Scotland
- Deaths from leukemia
- Footballers from Glasgow