Ronnie Burke
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald Stewart Burke | ||
| Date of birth | 13 August 1921 | ||
| Place of birth | Dormanstown, Redcar, England | ||
| Date of death | December 2003 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Watford, England | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St Albans City | |||
| 1941–1946 | Luton Town | ||
| 1946 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946–1949 | Manchester United | 28 | (16) |
| 1949–1953 | Huddersfield Town | 27 | (6) |
| 1953–1955 | Rotherham United | 73 | (56) |
| 1955–1957 | Exeter City | 42 | (14) |
| 1957–1959 | Tunbridge Wells United | ||
| 1959–1961 | Biggleswade Town | ||
| Total | 170 | (92) | |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Ronald Stewart "Ronnie" Burke (13 August 1921 – December 2003) was a footballer who played for Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United & Exeter City. He then moved to Non-League football first in 1957 with Tunbridge Wells United then on to Biggleswade Town
Rotherham United career
Rotherham United made several attempts to sign Ronnie Burke during the World War II years, but Manchester United got his signature ahead of the Millers. He then moved to Huddersfield Town, but suffered a serious knee injury, and lost his place in the Terriers team. He made his debut for Rotherham in Division 2 (now Championship), scoring two goals in a 4-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Good Friday 1953, and was unlucky not to get a hat-trick in his first Millers appearance.
In the next season he scored a hat-trick in the Millers 5-2 victory over Derby County on 5 December 1953, and repeated his achievement in a 7-0 thrashing of Oldham Athletic in March 1954. He finished the 1953/54 season with 33 goals, and was second highest goalscorer in Division 2.
In the 1954/55 season the goals kept going in and he scored all four Millers goals in a 4-2 victory against Bury in September 1954, but unfortunately his knee injury problems flared up again and he was made available for transfer in summer 1955. He then moved to Exeter City. His career at Millmoor was very successful, but was sadly cut short by injury.
References
- Millmoor personalities 1946-1986, David Watson, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (1986)