Ron Suart

Ronald Suart (18 November 1920 – 25 March 2015) was an English football player and manager.

Ron Suart
Personal information
Full name Ronald Suart
Date of birth (1920-11-18)18 November 1920
Place of birth Barrow-in-Furness, England
Date of death 25 March 2015(2015-03-25) (aged 94)
Place of death Surrey, England
Playing position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1946–1949 Blackpool 103 (0)
1949–1955 Blackburn Rovers 176 (0)
1955–1956 Wigan Athletic 23 (0)
Total 302 (0)
Teams managed
1955–1956 Wigan Athletic
1956–1958 Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
1958–1967 Blackpool
1974–1975 Chelsea
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing days

Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Suart started his career as a full-back at Blackpool. He played alongside fellow defenders George Farrow and Harry Johnston in a team which also included Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. Blackpool reached the 1948 FA Cup Final, but Suart missed it through injury. He transferred to Blackburn Rovers in 1949, before retiring in 1955. A 29 August 1953 issue of Soccer Star magazine described Suart as "capable at right and left-back as he is when taking over the centre-half position. A fine man to have in any defence."[1]

Management career

He took over at Wigan Athletic as player-manager, making 34 appearances in all competitions during the 1955-56 season.[2] He left the club join Scunthorpe & Lindsey United in 1956. After leading the club to promotion as Division Three North champions in 1957-58 he returned to Blackpool — the first ex-Seasider to return to the club as manager — who were then in the First Division. "I intend to work really hard at Blackpool," he said.[3] "I have my own plans and, with the co-operation of the directors, players, staff and public, I am sure they will work out to the good. Following a man like Joe Smith, with his wonderful record, will not be easy, but I feel confident, and the thought of managing the club I once played for gives me a great thrill."

Suart managed to retain Blackpool's place in the top tier for the next eight seasons and reached the League Cup semi-finals in 1962, losing to eventual winners Norwich City. While at Blackpool, he helped unearth future England internationals Alan Ball, Ray Charnley, and Emlyn Hughes, though with the abolition of the maximum wage and the new freedom which players had, he was unable to prevent many of his star players moving on. He resigned in January 1967, four months before Blackpool were relegated to Division Two, and was succeeded by Stan Mortensen. He remains Blackpool's second-longest-serving manager behind Joe Smith.

Suart became assistant manager to Tommy Docherty at Chelsea, where he spent seven years. Docherty left the club in October, and Suart briefly became caretaker manager. His services were retained by new manager Dave Sexton. He was with the club as they won the FA Cup in 1970 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971, but declined thereafter. When Sexton was sacked in October 1974 after a poor start to the season, Suart took charge of the first team. However, he was unable to prevent the club's slide towards relegation and was replaced by Eddie McCreadie the following April. He later became a scout at Wimbledon but, with the club in heavy financial trouble, he was released in February 2002.

Death

Suart died on 25 March 2015, aged 94, in Surrey.[4]

Honours

Scunthorpe & Lindsey United

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References
Specific
  1. Soccer Star. 150 Cheapside, London EC2: Echo Publications. 1953. p. 8.CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. Hayes, Dean (1996). The Latics: The Official History of Wigan Athletic F.C. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-874427-91-9.
  3. Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC on This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.
  4. "Chelsea mourn death of former manager Ron Suart aged 94", bbc.co.uk, 26 March 2015.
General
  • Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 978-1-873626-07-8.
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