Ron Walker

I was sad to read in Saturday's programme that our former player Ronnie Walker had passed away. He made 249 appearances for the club in the first half of the 60s, scoring 52 goals. I believe his last appearance at Twerton Park was about three years ago when he accompanied Billy Horton in a reunion with Mike Denton on the latter's visit from Australia.

From the website's archive...

Ron was one of two signings made by new manager Arthur Coles from Doncaster Rovers in June 1961. The 29-year old winger had made over 100 appearances in his time with that club, having begun his career as a trainee with Sunderland. Would become a regular fixture in the City side for the next six seasons, although he almost left at the end of the 1962-63 season after not being offered a new contract by Malcolm Allison before a change of heart by the recently appointed manager. For the 1967-68 season he became player-manager for the club's newly-formed A Team but was released at its conclusion.

RIP Ronnie

A nice man, a tidy player and always a favourite with the crowd. A hundred-per-center.

Echo that. Went to school with his son.

Ron played at number 11 when it was always outside left and had a sweet left foot.

Fifty years ago we both worked at Stothert & Pitt.

I last spoke with him about three years ago in Weston Village High Street.

RIP

I used to see Ron regularly in Weston village, he still lived in what was originally a club house at the bottom of Lansdown Lane.
A couple of years ago I missed him and there appeared to be no one living in the house so I checked with one of the neighbours. He told me Ron's wife had died and it hit him badly. He had family in Sheffield and they had moved him up there where he was in a care home, which I assume is where he passed away.
He always seemed a nice quiet man. I just about remember him playing. When Malcolm Allison came back to Twerton to talk as part of the first supporters buy back I remember him saying the tactic when we were under pressure was get the ball out to Ron on the left as he would 'hold it up' and give us a chance for a breather and regroup.

There's a summary of his earlier career at Doncaster here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Walker_(footballer)