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{{Short description|English footballer and manager}}

'''Ronnie Cope''' (born [[5 October]], [[1934]] at [[Crewe]]) was an [[England|English]] [[football (soccer)|footballer]] who played as a [[Defender (football)|centre half-back]]. His father, [[George Cope]], had played for [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]]. Ronnie Cope played four times for England Schoolboys in 1950. He joined [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] as an amateur in the same year, and made his debut for the club on [[29 September]], [[1956]] against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] at [[Highbury]]. However, he only gained a regular first-team place after the [[Munich air disaster]]. He lost his first-team place to [[Bill Foulkes]] in October 1960, and left United for [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] in August 1961 on a £10,000 transfer.

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ronnie Cope

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Ronald Cope

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|10|5|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Crewe]], [[Cheshire]], England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|8|27|1934|10|5|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height =

| position = [[Defender (association football)|Centre half]]

| youthyears1 = 1950–1951 |youthclubs1 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]

| years1 = 1951–1961 |clubs1 = [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] |caps1 = 93 |goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1961–1963 |clubs2 = [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] |caps2 = 28 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1963–1968 |clubs3 = [[Northwich Victoria F.C.|Northwich Victoria]] |caps3 = ? |goals3 = 10

| years4 = 1968–1969 |clubs4 = Winsford United |caps4 = ? |goals4 = ?

| years5 = 1968–1969 |clubs5 = Nantwich |caps5 = ? |goals5 = 1

| years6 = 1969–1971 |clubs6 = [[Northwich Victoria F.C.|Northwich Victoria]] |caps6 = ? |goals6 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1965–1966 |managerclubs1 = [[Northwich Victoria F.C.|Northwich Victoria]]

}}

[[File:Manchester United FC 1960.jpg|thumb|263px|Manchester United F.C. in 1960 – from the left, standing: [[Maurice Setters]], [[Bill Foulkes]], ''Ronnie Cope'', [[Harry Gregg]], [[Albert Scanlon]], [[Bobby Charlton]]. Front row from the left: [[Warren Bradley (footballer)|Warren Bradley]], [[Albert Quixall]], [[Dennis Viollet]], [[Shay Brennan]] and [[Joe Carolan]].]]

'''Ronald Cope''' (5 October 1934 – 27 August 2016) was an English [[association football|footballer]] from [[Crewe]], [[Cheshire]], who played as a [[Defender (football)|centre half-back]] in [[the Football League]] for [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/roncope.html |title=Ron Cope |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |access-date=27 October 2009}}</ref>

Cope played four times for England Schoolboys in 1950.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ellesmereportpioneer.co.uk/ellesmere-port-news/local-ellesmere-port-news/2004/06/16/local-heroes-55940-14338312/ |title=Local heroes |newspaper=Ellesmere Port Pioneer |date=16 June 2004 |first=Jan |last=Roberts |access-date=27 October 2009}}</ref><!-- this only verifies his playing for England schoolboys, not the number of times --> He joined [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] as an amateur in the same year, turned professional in 1951, and made his debut for the club on 29 September 1956 against [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] at [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]].<ref name=MUFCInfo>{{cite web |url=http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/a-z_player_archive/a-z_player_archive_pages/cope_ronald.html |title=Ronald Cope |work=MUFCInfo |publisher=Mark Graham |access-date=27 October 2009}}</ref> However, he only gained a regular first-team place after the [[Munich air disaster]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/seasons/season1958.html |title=1957/58 |publisher=StretfordEnd.co.uk |access-date=27 October 2009}}</ref> He lost his first-team place to [[Bill Foulkes]] in October 1960,{{citation needed|date=October 2009}} and left United for [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] in August 1961 on a £10,000 transfer. He left the professional scene two years later, although he continued to play at non-league level for Northwich Victoria and also served the Cheshire club as manager.<ref name=MUFCInfo/>

[[Category:1934 births|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:English footballers|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:Manchester United F.C. players|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:Luton Town F.C. players|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:Category:Possibly living people|Cope, Ronnie]]

His father, George, had played for [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]], and he was considered a stand-out player in the squad, always being where he was needed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} Like his father, Cope also played Cheshire County League football for [[Nantwich Town F.C.|Nantwich]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Michael |last=Chatwin |title=Ultimate Book of Nantwich Town Football Club |date=2020 |publisher=Empire |isbn=978-0-9563068-2-1 |oclc=1199329275 }}</ref>

Cope died on 27 August 2016.<ref>[http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Club-News/2016/Sep/obituary-of-former-manchester-united-player-ronnie-cope.aspx?newsid=AAD9671F-F3EE-4C28-9F89-ADB562D9DC75 OBITUARY: RONNIE COPE]</ref><ref>[http://www.bmdsonline.co.uk/crewe-chronicle/obituary/cope-ronald/47941613 COPE RONALD : Obituary]</ref>

{{England-footy-bio-stub}}

==Honours==

'''Manchester United'''

*[[FA Cup]] runner-up: [[1957–58 FA Cup|1957–58]]<ref>{{cite book |first1=Leslie |first2=Jack |last1=Vernon |last2=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78 |year=1977 |publisher=Brickfield Publications Ltd |___location=London |isbn=0354-09018-6 |page=490}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

* {{NeilBrownPlayers|player/roncope|Ron Cope}}

{{Northwich Victoria F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cope, Ronnie}}

[[Category:1934 births|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:2016 deaths]]

[[Category:Footballers from Crewe]]

[[Category:English footballers|Cope,men's Ronniefootballers]]

[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]

[[Category:Manchester United F.C. players|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:Luton Town F.C. players|Cope, Ronnie]]

[[Category:Northwich Victoria F.C. players]]

[[Category:Northwich Victoria F.C. managers]]

[[Category:English Football League players]]

[[Category:English football managers]]

[[Category:Nantwich Town F.C. players]]

[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]

{{England-footy-biodefender-1930s-stub}}