Ronnie Wallwork

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Ronnie Wallwork
Personal information
Full name Ronald Wallwork
Date of birth 10 September 1977 (1977-09-10) (age 30)
Place of birth    Newton Heath, Manchester, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Defender/defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club Unattached
Youth clubs
1993–1995 Manchester United
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1995–2002
1997–1998
1998
1999
2002–2008
2004
2004
2006
2007
2008		 Manchester United
→ Carlisle United (loan)
→ Stockport County (loan)
→ Royal Antwerp (loan)
West Bromwich Albion
→ Bradford City (loan)
→ Bradford City (loan)
→ Barnsley (loan)
→ Huddersfield Town (loan)
Sheffield Wednesday		 19 (0)
10 (1)
07 (0)
17 (2)
93 (2)
05 (2)
02 (2)
02 (0)
16 (3)
07 (0)   
National team2
1997 England U-20 0? (?)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 18:06, 14 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of October 26, 2007.
* Appearances (Goals)

Ronald "Ronnie" Wallwork (born 10 September 1977 in Newton Heath, Manchester) is an English professional football player who can play as either a defender or a midfielder. He is currently unattached, having played most recently for Sheffield Wednesday. He has also represented Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion as well as a number of clubs on loan deals.

Wallwork was banned from football for attacking a referee in Belgium, and has also spent more than two months out of the game in 2006 and 2007 after he was stabbed in a nightclub.

Contents

[edit] Football career

[edit] Manchester United

Wallwork began his career at Manchester United, joining as an apprentice in April 1993. He signed his first trainee contract in July 1994, before turning professional in March 1995.[1] He became a fixture in the Manchester United junior sides, making 77 appearances for the club's various youth teams from 1994 to 1997. Wallwork helped United to win the FA Youth Cup in 1995 and was named as the club's Young Player of the Year in 1996.[2] By the start of the 1997–98 season, he had become a regular in the reserve team, and made his senior debut on 25 October 1997, when he came on as a 64th minute substitute for Gary Pallister in the 7–0 home win against Barnsley.[3]

"I’ve been a Red all my life and I used to stand on the Stretford End, so to get picked to play for the team you love is an honour. I’d been playing Sunday league football when United came in for me."
Ronnie Wallwork[4]

Later in the 1997–98 season, Wallwork was loaned out twice: firstly to Carlisle United, where he scored his first goal in professional football, and then to Stockport County. Wallwork had a loan spell at Royal Antwerp during the following season, when he was banned from football for life after an alleged attack on a referee. Another Manchester United loanee, Danny Higginbotham, was banned for a year for his part in the attack. A Belgian court reduced Wallwork's sentence to a three year suspension, of which two years were probational, while Higginbotham's ban was reduced to four months.[5] The 1999–2000 season saw Wallwork make his true breakthrough into the United first team, as he made a total of seven appearances, mostly as a defensive midfielder. Then, in 2000–01, Wallwork amassed enough league appearances with United to qualify for a Premier League winner's medal.[2] However, his spell in the United first team was short-lived, as the signings of centre-back Laurent Blanc and central midfielder Juan Sebastián Verón made Wallwork surplus to requirements. He made his final appearance for the Red Devils on 26 January 2002, playing 61 minutes of the FA Cup Fourth Round match against Middlesbrough before being replaced by Ryan Giggs. In his seven years at United, Wallwork played just 28 times, and in the summer of 2002 his contract was not renewed.[6]

[edit] West Bromwich Albion

In July 2002, Wallwork moved on to West Bromwich Albion on a Bosman free transfer, becoming the first player signed by Albion following their promotion to the Premiership.[7] Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called him the “best Bosman of the summer”.[8] Wallwork made his Albion debut as a substitute in a 3–1 home defeat to Leeds United on 24 August.[9] He was on the substitutes bench and the reserves for much of his first two seasons, and in January 2004 joined Bradford City on an initial month-long loan during which time he scored in his first and last games.[10][11][12] Albion initially refused an extension to the loan, citing concerns over the financial situation at Bradford, who were on the verge of administration.[13] Although a second loan deal for a further two months at Bradford was agreed shortly afterwards,[14] a broken toe sustained in a match against Rotherham United meant that Wallwork made an early return to The Hawthorns after another two goals.[15][16]

When Bryan Robson, who had managed Wallwork at Bradford, was appointed manager of Albion in 2005, Wallwork became an integral part of the West Brom team which engineered a "Great Escape" against relegation to The Championship. Wallwork scored his first goal for Albion in a 2–0 home win over Manchester City on 22 January 2005.[17] WBA's status of Premier League football was confirmed on the last day, as they beat Portsmouth, and thus being the first team able to survive when they were in last place in Christmas. For his efforts, Wallwork was named as Albion's Player of the Season for 2004–05. In May 2005, he signed a new contract, to keep him at Albion until June 2007.[18]

"I was Player of the Year one minute at West Brom, the next I was out of the team and then out of the club. Things can change very quickly in football, it comes with the territory."
Ronnie Wallwork[19]

The following season Wallwork played in 31 out of 38 Premiership games,[20] but was unable to prevent Albion's relegation to The Championship. He remained a regular in the side during the early part of the 2006–07 season, but following the appointment of Bryan Robson's successor Tony Mowbray in October, Wallwork played just once more for the club.[20] He joined Barnsley on loan on 22 November 2006 until 1 January 2007 though West Bromwich Albion had a recall option after 28 days.[21] He officially returned on 1 January, but was unable to play for some time due to injuries sustained during a stabbing incident.

Wallwork joined Huddersfield Town on loan on 27 September 2007,[22] because of Town's escalating injury crisis. He made his Huddersfield debut in a 2–0 home win over Luton Town on 29 September 2007.[23] On 20 October, he scored his first goal for Town in a match against Oldham Athletic, which finished 1–1. His loan was extended by another month on 29 October. He was also given permission by West Bromwich Albion to play in Town's FA Cup first round tie against Accrington Stanley on 10 November.[24] On 3 November, he scored his second goal for Huddersfield, in a 3–1 win over Port Vale. Wallwork's loan was extended on 22 November until 29 December, the maximum loan period of 93 days permitted under league rules, when he returned to The Hawthorns.[25]

[edit] Sheffield Wednesday

On 11 January 2008, Wallwork signed for Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer, until the end of the season, with a view to an extension at the end of the season.[26][27] He made his debut the following day, coming on as a half-time substitute for Steve Watson in a 1–0 defeat away at Cardiff City.[28] He lost his place in the team to new signing Adam Bolder, and although he came on as an early substitute for Graham Kavanagh against Charlton Athletic on 12 February 2008,[29] he did not play for nearly another month until his appearance in a 2–1 victory against Queens Park Rangers. Wallwork played just seven games for Wednesday,[20] who released him on 14 May 2008.[30]

[edit] Stabbing

On 30 November 2006, Wallwork was stabbed seven times whilst on a night out at the Sugar Lounge night club in Manchester.[31] He was stabbed in the hand, back and stomach. After being rushed to hospital Wallwork's condition was said to be stable and his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. Police investigated the stabbing, which they described as "not random".[32] Police later named the suspect and appealed for him to contact them.[33] A 20-year-old man handed himself into a police station in Manchester and was arrested on 7 December.[34] In December 2007, Robert Rimmer, a 21-year-old, from Gorton, Manchester, was jailed for five and a half years for stabbing Wallwork after he admitted wounding with intent at Manchester Crown Court.[35]

On 10 December, Wallwork was released from hospital.[36] During the match between Barnsley and West Brom, on 10 December 2006, live on Sky Sports, there was a "Get well soon Ronnie!" message that repeatedly popped up. On one side of the board it had the Barnsley crest, the other the West Brom crest. After returning to light training in late January,[37] Wallwork made his comeback from the stabbing on 21 February 2007, playing the full 90 minutes in a reserve team game against Walsall.[38]

[edit] Career statistics

Last updated 14 May 2008:[20][39][40][41]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[42] Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Manchester United 1997–98 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1998–99 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
1999–00 5 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 7 0
2000–01 12 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 16 0
2001–02 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
Subtotal 19 0 2 0 5 0 2 0 28 0
Carlisle United (loan) 1997–98 10 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 12 1
Subtotal 10 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 12 1
Stockport County (loan) 1997–98 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Subtotal 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Royal Antwerp (loan) 1998–99 17 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 20 2
Subtotal 17 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 20 2
West Bromwich Albion 2002–03 27 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 30 0
2003–04 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 7 0
2004–05 20 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 23 1
2005–06 31 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 35 0
2006–07 10 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 12 2
2007–08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Subtotal 93 2 7 0 7 1 0 0 107 3
Bradford City (loan) 2003–04 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 4
Subtotal 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 4
Barnsley (loan) 2006–07 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Subtotal 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Huddersfield Town (loan) 2007–08 16 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 18 3
Subtotal 16 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 18 3
Sheffield Wednesday 2007–08 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Subtotal 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0

[edit] Honours

Manchester United

[edit] References

  1. ^ Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books, p. 237–238. ISBN 1-85983-474-4. 
  2. ^ a b c "Footballer hurt in stab attack", Shropshire Star, 2006-12-01. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  3. ^ "Wallwork glad to back in action", Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 2007-10-06. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  4. ^ Ex-Reds: Jonathan Greening and Ronnie Wallwork. manutd.com (2006-03-17). Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
  5. ^ "Wallwork life-ban dropped", BBC Sport, 1999-09-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  6. ^ Wallwork mulls Baggies offer. BBC Sport (12 June 2002). Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  7. ^ "Wallwork makes Baggies move", BBC Sport, 2002-07-01. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  8. ^ Lansley, Peter. "Wallwork happy to acknowledge debt to Ferguson", TimesOnline, 2006-03-18. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  9. ^ "WBA vs Leeds United", West Bromwich Albion F.C., 2002-08-24. Retrieved on 2008-01-28. 
  10. ^ "Bradford get Wallwork", BBC Sport, 2004-01-21. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  11. ^ "Nine wins to beat drop!", Telegraph & Argus, 2004-01-26. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  12. ^ "Wallwork's fate unclear", Telegraph & Argus, 2004-02-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  13. ^ "Wallwork back at West Brom", BBC Sport, 2004-02-24. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  14. ^ "Wallwork in Bradford return", BBC Sport, 2004-02-26. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  15. ^ "Wallwork back at Hawthorns", BBC Sport, 2004-03-09. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  16. ^ "Player exodus sounded death knell for City", Telegraph & Argus, 2004-04-22. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  17. ^ "WBA vs Manchester City", West Bromwich Albion F.C., 2005-01-22. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  18. ^ "Wallwork pens new West Brom deal", BBC Sport, 2005-05-28. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  19. ^ “The Inside Track”, Wednesday (Sheffield Wednesday official matchday programme) (Dunwoody, for Sheffield Wednesday) (no. 21): p13, 2008-03-04 
  20. ^ a b c d Ronnie Wallwork career statistics. soccerbase.com. Racing Post. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  21. ^ "Barnsley capture quartet on loan", BBC Sport, 2006-11-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  22. ^ "Wallwork seals Terriers switch", West Bromwich Albion F.C., 2007-09-28. Retrieved on 2007-09-28. 
  23. ^ "Huddersfield 2-0 Luton", Sportbox.tv, 2007-09-29. Retrieved on 2007-09-29. 
  24. ^ "Wallwork's Terriers loan extended", West Bromwich Albion F.C., 2007-10-30. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. 
  25. ^ "Wallwork's Staying 'Til Xmas", Huddersfield Town F.C., 2007-11-22. Retrieved on 2007-11-23. 
  26. ^ "Owls recruit Baggies man Wallwork", BBC Sport, 2008-01-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  27. ^ "Wallwork seals switch to Owls", TEAMtalk, 2008-01-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-11. 
  28. ^ "Cardiff City vs Sheffield Wed", swfc.co.uk, 2008-01-12. Retrieved on 2008-01-12. 
  29. ^ "Kavanagh to miss Owls' crunch match", Sheffield Star, 2008-02-15. Retrieved on 2008-03-07. 
  30. ^ "Wednesday release seven players", BBC Sport, 2008-05-14. Retrieved on 2008-05-14. 
  31. ^ "Wallwork hurt after bar stabbing", BBC Sport, 2006-12-01. Retrieved on 2008-01-27. 
  32. ^ "Wallwork 'stable' after stabbing", BBC News, 2006-12-02. Retrieved on 2008-04-17. 
  33. ^ "Wanted Man Named", Sky News, 2006-12-06. Retrieved on 2008-04-17. 
  34. ^ "Arrest over footballer stabbing", BBC News, 2006-12-07. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. 
  35. ^ "Man jailed for footballer attack", BBC News, 2006-12-21. Retrieved on 2008-04-20. 
  36. ^ "Wallwork released from hospital", BBC News, 2006-12-10. Retrieved on 2008-05-14. 
  37. ^ "Wallwork eyes return to training", BBC Sport, 17 January 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  38. ^ "Walsall Res 1 Albion Res 2", West Bromwich Albion F.C., 2007-02-21. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  39. ^ Spelersfiche Ronnie Wallwork (Flemish). Royal Antwerp FC. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  40. ^ Royal Antwerp Football Club Uitslagen & Rangschikking 1998-1999 (Flemish). Royal Antwerp FC. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  41. ^ Royal Antwerp Football Club Uitslagen & Rangschikking 1998-1999 Eindronde (Flemish). Royal Antwerp FC. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  42. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Club Championship, Belgian Second Division Final Round and Football League Trophy. Friendlies and testimonials are not included.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Wallwork, Ronnie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION English footballer
DATE OF BIRTH September 10, 1977
PLACE OF BIRTH Newton Heath, Manchester, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH