*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Ron Austin
Appearances: 7 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 21st August 1920
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 1956/57
Season of last appearance: 1956/57
Also played for: Lloyds Paper Mills, Rotherham United (0), Bowater Lloyds, Sittingbourne and Whitstable Town
Fast, direct winger born in Milton, near Sittingbourne who started out as a centre-forward during his school days.
After finishing his education Ron started work at the Bowaters Lloyd paper mill aged 17 and began turning out for the company's football team who played under the name of Lloyds Paper Mills. He started out in the 3rd X1 but made rapid progress through the reserves and into the senior side during his first season with the club - 1937/38. Lloyds Paper Mills were in the Kent League at the time and by then Ron was playing as a right winger.
Early in 1940 he enlisted in the RAF and was stationed at Doncaster. During his service Ron played for both the Doncaster and Duxford RAF sides as well as for some area regimental teams before joining Rotherham in 1943.
Ron was signed as a professional by the Millers and made ten first team appearances in wartime matches during the 1943/44 and 1944/45 seasons.
With the war over Ron returned to Lloyds in 1945 as a 'permit player' - a term used to describe ex-professionals reverting to the amateur game. He soon regretted his decision to play professionally for Rotherham as it cost him the chance of playing for Kent as the Kent FA's rules prevented former professionals from playing for the county.
During the 1946/47 campaign Fulham contacted Ron on more than one occasion to offer him a trial with the club but he never got round to taking the Cottagers up on their offer. Ron was newly married and had other commitments which prevented him from making the trip to Craven Cottage.
His second spell with Lloyds lasted around four years and Ron scored the winning goal to secure the Kent League Cup during the 1948/49 season as Lloyds beat Bromley 2-1. The club changed its name to Bowater Lloyds for 1949/50.
Ron moved on to Sittingbourne for the start of the 1950/51 campaign and became a hugely popular player there over the course of six seasons with the club. He built up a particularly good understanding with future Margate legend Peter Vandepeer who often profited from Ron's crosses. Ron left Sittingbourne at the end of the 1955/56 campaign.
After a few months out of football Ron signed for Margate in November 1956 aged 36 and set up two goals on his reserve team debut - a 3-1 win at Deal on 17.11.56. He made his first team bow in a 5-2 win over Gillingham Reserves at Hartsdown Park on 24.11.56 and on 8.12.56 Ron played in a 4-0 defeat at Millwall in the FA Cup 2nd Round. However he only made five further sporadic appearances before the end of the 1956/57 season and Ron spent most of his time in the reserves. His last senior game for Margate was a 4-2 home win over Chatham on 20.4.57. In the summer of 1957 he was released.
Ron joined Whitstable for 1957/58 and went on to score 11 goals in 39 games for the Oystermen during the campaign before leaving the club at the end of the season. He then retired from football.
Ron later played cricket for Rodmersham (near Sittingbourne).
He continued to live in the Sittingbourne area until passing away aged 94 on 28.12.14.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1956/57 (MFC) |
7 (47) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17) |
2R |
1R |
SF |
SF |
|
Played in FA Cup
2nd Round (08.12.56 - lost 4-0 at
Millwall). | |||||||||