Ralph Coates Explained

Ralph Coates
Fullname:Ralph Coates
Birth Date:26 April 1946
Birth Place:Hetton-le-Hole, England
Death Place:Luton, England
Position:Winger
Youthyears1:1962–1964
Youthclubs1:Burnley
Years1:1964–1971
Clubs1:Burnley
Caps1:216
Goals1:26
Years2:1971–1978
Clubs2:Tottenham Hotspur
Caps2:188
Goals2:14
Years3:1978
Clubs3:St George
Caps3:11
Goals3:3
Years4:1978–1981
Clubs4:Orient
Caps4:76
Goals4:12
Totalcaps:480
Totalgoals:52
Nationalyears1:1966–1969
Nationalteam1:England U-23
Nationalcaps1:8
Nationalgoals1:2
Nationalyears2:1970–1971
Nationalteam2:England
Nationalcaps2:4
Nationalgoals2:0

Ralph Coates (26 April 1946 – 17 December 2010) was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. Coates played for Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Orient, making 480 appearances in the Football League.[1] From 1970 to 1971, he played for the England national team, earning four caps.[2]

Club career

Coates was born in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham. He was an apprentice colliery fitter and his footballing ability was spotted by Burnley's North-East scout Jack Hixon.[3] Coates joined Burnley on trial in 1961, and after a period as an apprentice, turned professional in 1963.[4] He made his first-team debut in December 1964, scoring his first goal in a 2–0 win against Leicester City in March 1965.[4] He would go on to make 261 appearances for Burnley in all competitions, scoring 32 goals.[4] After Burnley had been relegated from the First Division in 1971, Coates was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £190,000.[4] He played over 300 games for Tottenham and earned winner's medals for the 1971–72 UEFA Cup and the 1972–73 Football League Cup, where he scored the winning goal in the final.[4] Coates left Tottenham in 1978 and had a short period playing with St George in the Australian National Soccer League, before returning to play for Orient, where he was also on the coaching staff.[4] [5] He played 84 games in all competitions for Orient scoring 12 goals.

He retired from professional football in 1982, but continued to play non-league football for Hertford Heath, Ware and Nazeing.[6]

International career

Coates played eight times for England U-23[7] and four times for England. He was a member of the initial squad for the 1970 World Cup but was not selected for the final squad which travelled to Mexico.[4]

Personal life

Coates was married twice, first to Veronica Banks in 1968 (whom he subsequently divorced) and then to Lesley Clarkson in 1981 (from whom he had separated by the time of his death).[8] He had a son and a daughter.[9] Coates was a Labour Party supporter.[10]

After his football career ended, Coates became a travel agent.[9] He later moved into the leisure industry, managing leisure centres in Chelmsford and Boreham Wood[6] and was involved with Tottenham Hotspur for over 20 years, where he worked as a match-day host.[4] He was also a football coach for disabled children.[11]

Death

In early December 2010, he suffered a series of strokes and was hospitalised.[12] He died on 17 December 2010 at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust aged 64.[13] [14] [15]

Career statistics

International

Source:[8]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
England
197010
197130
Total40

Honours

Tottenham Hotspur

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player profile. 17 December 2010. Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database.
  2. Web site: 864 Ralph Coates (1970 – 1971). 17 December 2010. EnglandStats.com.
  3. News: Tributes paid after death of England star Ralph Coates at 64. 17 December 2010. 17 December 2010. Tony Kearney. The Northern Echo.
  4. Web site: Ralph Coates:1946–2010. 18 December 2010. 17 December 2010. www.burnleyfootballclub.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101221221733/http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/page/LatestHeadlines/0,,10413~2246396,00.html. 21 December 2010.
  5. Web site: 1978 National Soccer League. 9 July 2017. OzFootball.
  6. Web site: Ralph Coates. 18 December 2010. 17 December 2010. www.leytonorient.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101222000023/http://www.leytonorient.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10439~2246582,00.html. 22 December 2010.
  7. Web site: Coates, Ralph. 27 December 2010. www.thelongside.info. dead. https://archive.today/20130218041745/http://www.thelongside.info/content/view/491/107/. 18 February 2013.
  8. Web site: England Players - Ralph Coates. 31 August 2021. www.englandfootballonline.com.
  9. Web site: Ralph Coates. 31 August 2021. www.telegraph.co.uk.
  10. Web site: 18 April 2015. Sport and politics: how Twitter has changed the rules. 31 August 2021. The Independent. en.
  11. Web site: 5 January 2011. Alastair. Campbell. Nice send off for Ralph Coates. 31 August 2021. en-GB.
  12. Web site: Burnley legend Coates seriously ill in hospital after strokes. 17 December 2010. 10 December 2010. Peter Magill. This Is Lancashire.
  13. News: Former Tottenham midfielder Ralph Coates dies. 17 December 2010. 17 December 2010. BBC Sport.
  14. Web site: Ralph Coates dies. 17 December 2010. 17 December 2010. The Football Association.
  15. Web site: Former Burnley star Ralph Coates dies. 17 December 2010. 17 December 2010. Peter Magill. This Is Lancashire.