Ron Burgess - obituary of a Spurs legend

By Dave P
February 14 2005

One of Spurs all time greatest players very nearly wasn't. He was working as a Pit boy in Wales when Spurs invited him to join their junior ranks.

Ronald Arthur William Burgess 1917 - 2005

Wing Half Ron Burgess totalled 505 first team games (324 in competitive games) for Spurs with 297 coming in the Football League, scoring 63 goals (16 in competitive games).

One of Spurs all time greatest players very nearly wasn't. He was working as a Pit boy in Wales when Spurs invited him to join their junior ranks. After a year or so he was informed he was not good enough and was about to be released when a disappointed Burgess went to watch an 'A' team game before returning home. With only 10 men turning up he was asked to fill in at right half. He did well, was taken onto the groundstaff and never looked back.

Born in Cwm in South Wales on 9th April 1917 he used to kick a ball around with his mates on the slag heaps of Ebbw Vale and represented Ebbw Vale schools before signing for Cardiff City as a Amateur in 1933.

His debut for Spurs came at norwich in February 1939 and during the second world war he guested for a number of clubs and also had 10 appearances for Wales.

Ron captained Spurs to successive Second and First division Championships in 1950 and 1951 and also captained Wales gaining 32 full caps between 1946 and 1954. He also featured for the Football league side and for Great Britain against a Rest of the World side.

On leaving White Hart Lane at the end of the 1953/54 season he was appointed player coach of Swansea Town, later to take over as player manager at the Vetch. In 1959 he became manager at Watford guiding them to promotion from division 4 in 1960. He went on to manage Hendon (1963-65) and Bedford Town (1966-67) and while in charge at Hendon he guided them to beat Whitby Town 3-1 to win the Amateur Cup Final at Wembley in 1965.

Had we had a full complement of players for that 'A' team game it may have been so different.

Our condolences to his family at this time - RIP Ron - A true Spurs Legend