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Ron Saunders




As a player Ron Saunders was a hard-shooting centre forward. He scored over 200 goals in 13 years as a centre-forward for Everton , Tonbridge , Gillingham , Portsmouth , Watford and Charlton . Saunders was leading goalscorer for six consecutive seasons at Portsmouth and it was largely his goals that won Pompey the Third Division Championship in 1962 . He remains their third highest goalscorer to this day. He retired from playing in 1967 with Charlton.

As a manager Saunders first tasted success at Norwich, taking them to Division Two winners in 1972 . A short spell at Manchester City followed, before he joined Aston Villa in 1974 .

He managed Villa to League Cup in 1975 and again in 1977 before taking the club to its first Championship success for 70 years in 1981 . He resigned from Villa on the verge of the club's greatest achievement, winning the European Cup , due to a disagreement with the board over his contract. Surprisingly he moved straight to Villa's arch-rivals, Birmingham City . In 1986 he completed a hat-trick of Birmingham clubs when he took charge of West Bromwich Albion . He stayed there until he was dismissed in 1987 , and after that he left football management for good.

Manager:
:1967-1969 Yeovil Town
:1969-1969 Oxford United
:1969-1973 Norwich City
:1973-1974 Manchester City
:1974-1982 Aston Villa
:1982-1986 Birmingham City
:1986-1987 West Bromwich Albion