Ron Wylie

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

Joe Mercer |
Dick Taylor |

First Squad Appearance

Saturday, 22 November 1958

Debut Appearance

Saturday, 22 November 1958

Preston North End (h), Division One

First Goal

Saturday, 14 February 1959

Final Appearance

Saturday, 24 April 1965

Fulham (a), Division One

Final Squad Appearance

Saturday, 24 April 1965

Ron Wylie

Player #471 for Aston Villa, Ronald Maurice Wylie, known as Ron Wylie, played as a forward for the club.

Ron played for Villa between 1958-59 and 1964-65 making 244 appearances and scoring 27 goals.

Ron was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 6 August 1933 and made his debut appearance for Villa on Saturday, 22 November 1958 aged 25.

Villa had signed Ron from Notts County for a fee of £9,250 earlier in November 1958.

Ron made an immediate impact on the first team and remained a virtual ever present across his 7 seasons with Villa.

As a player in his early years at Notts County, Ron had been envisaged as a goalscorer however his career was notable for its lack of goals for a forward player - his best campaign for Villa garnered seven goals in 1960-61 whilst he averaged just less than 4 goals a season across his 7 campaigns with Villa.

The lack of goals however shouldn’t detract from Ron’s contribution - as a relatively skilful player he dovetailed well with Villa’s leading scorers of the era Peter McParland and Gerry Hitchens and was instrumental in helping them set their scoring records whilst he also struck up a strong relationship with Vic Crowe playing at wing-half. A relationship he would reignite off the pitch, post retirement in football management.

Despite the partnerships, Ron couldn’t prevent Villa’s relegation in his first season despite his 20 appearances but he proved instrumental the following year making 38 appearances and scoring 4 times as Villa took the Second Division Championship and won promotion back to Division One at the first attempt.

As well as securing the second division championship, Ron also helped Villa to FA Cup Semi finals in 1958-59 and 1959-60, runners up in the League Cup final in 1962-63 and as semi finalists in his final season with the club, 1964-65.

During Villa’s victorious League Cup campaign in 1960-61 Ron hit 3 goals in 10 games as Villa went on to lift the trophy after vanquishing Rotherham United in the two legged final.

Perhaps his only notable goalscoring feat however came when Ron hit a hat-trick - his first goals for Villa - in the 4-1 FA Cup win over Everton on Saturday, 14 February 1959.

Ron would scoop Midland Player of the Year in 1964-65 having swapped his forward play to midfield in order to cover cover for a raft of injuries and arguably that move extended his Villa career beyond its expected end.

Ultimately though Ron played his final game for Villa on Saturday, 24 April 1965 aged 31 as midfield competition proved stiff and he moved on to Villa’s neighbours Birmingham City.

Ron returned to Villa as Vic Crowe’s assistant between June 1970 and April 1974 as Villa strived to return top flight football to Villa Park however both were sacked.

Ron returned once more to serve as Villa’s reserve team coach from February 1984 to May 1987 and then took on the role of community officer at Villa Park until 2003.

Ron had played under Villa managers Joe Mercer and Dick Taylor.

Ron passed away on 14 April 2020 aged 86.