Ronnie Rooke

Ronnie Rooke
Personal information
Full nameRonald Leslie Rooke
Date of birth7 December 1911
Place of birthGuildford, Surrey, England
Date of deathJuly 1985
Playing positionCentre forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1933–1936Crystal Palace18(6)
1936–1946Fulham105(69)
1946–1949Arsenal88(68)
1949–1950Crystal Palace45(26)
1950–?Bedford Town
Teams managed
1949–1950Crystal Palace
1951–1961Bedford Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Ronald Leslie "Ronnie" Rooke (7 December 1911 – July 1985) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward either side of World War II, and who later became a football manager.[1]

Born in Guildford, Surrey, Rooke started his playing career with Crystal Palace, who were at the time in the Third Division South. A centre forward, he mainly played for the Palace reserve side, only playing eighteen league matches and scoring four goals between 1932 and 1936. His main success came when he moved to Second Division Fulham in November 1936; he was the club's leading scorer for three consecutive seasons; in all he scored 57 goals in 87 league matches, including all six goals in a 6-0 FA Cup demolition of Bury, a club record.

Rooke served in the RAF during World War II. In 1946, at the age of 35, he was signed by Arsenal.[2]

He scored 33 league goals for Arsenal in 1947-48, becoming the First Division's top scorer that season.[3]

Rooke left the Gunners in the summer of 1949 to rejoin former club Crystal Palace. In November 1950 he moved on to Bedford Town.[4]

Honours

References

  1. ↑ Football League Career Stats at Neil Brown
  2. ↑ "Ronnie Rooke". Arsenal. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  3. ↑ James M Ross (9 August 2013). "Football League Div 1 & 2 Leading Goalscorers 1947-92". English League Leading Goalscorers. RSSSF. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Ronnie Rooke". Crystal Palace FC Supporters Website. The Holmesdale Online. Retrieved 30 October 2011.