{{Short description|English football player and coach (born 1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Ron Hillyard | fullname = Ronald William Hillyard | image = Ron Hillyard.jpg | upright = 0.7 | caption = Hillyard in 2001 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|3|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Brinsworth, England | height = 5 ft 11 in<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=174 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref> | position = Goalkeeper | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthyears2 = 1969 | youthclubs1 = Leeds United | youthclubs2 = York City | years1 = 1969–1974 | clubs1 = York City<ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/york/york.html York City all-time players' records]</ref> | caps1 = 61 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1972 | clubs2 = → Hartlepool United (loan)<ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/hartlepool/hartlepool.html Hartlepool United all-time players' records]</ref> | caps2 = 23 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1973 | clubs3 = → Bury (loan)<ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/bury/bury.html Bury all-time players' records]</ref> | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1973 | clubs4 = → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)<ref>[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/brighton/brighton.html Brighton & Hove Albion all-time players' records]</ref> | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 1974–1991 | clubs5 = Gillingham<ref name="triggs">{{cite book | first=Roger|last= Triggs | title=The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club| publisher=Tempus Publishing Ltd | year=2001| isbn=0-7524-2243-X|pages=158}}</ref> | caps5 = 563 | goals5 = 0 | totalcaps = 647 | totalgoals = 0 }} '''Ronald William Hillyard''' (born 31 March 1952) is an English former football goalkeeper. He spent seventeen years playing for Gillingham, for whom he holds the record for the most matches played in all competitions.
==Career== Born in Brinsworth, Hillyard was a schoolboy inside forward before being put in goal as a punishment. He joined Rotherham United as an amateur until the training nights were discontinued. He then played for Brinsworth Athletic in the Sheffield Amateur League before being recommended to Leeds United where he spent a season as fourth-choice keeper before being recommended to York City by Bobby Sibbald.<ref>{{cite book |title=Goalkeepers Are Different, Ron Hillyard testimonial brochure |date=15 May 1984 |pages=9–10 |publisher=Ron Hillyard Testimonial Committee}}</ref> Joining as a junior, Hillyard was thrust into the first-team in October 1969, when the club was facing a goalkeeping crisis.<ref name="Complete record stars">{{cite book | last = Batters | first = Dave | title = York City: A Complete Record 1922-1990 | publisher = The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited | year = 1990 | pages = 170 | chapter = York City Stars | isbn = 0-907969-69-0 }}</ref>
Loan spells at Hartlepool United, Bury and Brighton & Hove Albion followed where on his first meeting with Brian Clough was told to get his hair cut. Although he made 61 Football League appearances for York City over the next five years, he was unable to establish himself as a first-team regular. Finally in 1974, Gillingham manager Len Ashurst, who had been attempting to sign the Yorkshireman for his former club Hartlepool United for three years, was able to secure his transfer to his new club.<ref name="triggs" />
For almost the entirety of the next seventeen years, Hillyard was the Kent club's first-choice goalkeeper, until a back injury forced him to retire in 1991. Two years earlier he had been appointed assistant manager by Damien Richardson, a post he continued to hold until 1992 when both he and Richardson were sacked.<ref name="triggs" /> On 15 May 1983, Hillyard enjoyed a testimonial game when Gillingham beat West Ham United 3–2 at Priestfield Stadium.<ref>[http://whu-programmes.co.uk/1983-84-friendlies/4552123690 WHU Programmes]</ref> Hillyard was expected to break John Simpson's record for the most league appearances for Gillingham but ultimately his career ended 8 matches short of Simpson's tally of 571. Nonetheless, Hillyard set a new record for appearances for the club in all competitions with a total of 657, during which he kept 202 clean sheets.<ref name="triggs" />
Hillyard was appointed goalkeeping coach of Ebbsfleet United in 2002 and remained with the club until 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|date=5 July 2016|title=Gillingham's record appearance holder Ron Hillyard leaves Ebbsfleet United after 14 years as goalkeeping coach|work=Kent Online|url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/sport/ron-calls-time-at-fleet-98456/|access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref> He also held a dual-role position of goalkeeping coach with Gillingham during the 2011–12 season.<ref>[http://www.gnfc.co.uk/index.php?mainmenu=matchdaymenu.html&content=player_profiles.php&submenu=matchday.php&photos=players_tn.html#117 Ebbsfleet United website]</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=28 August 2011|title=Hillyard rejoins Gillingham as goalkeeping coach|work=BBC|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gillingham/9574687.stm|access-date=2 May 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{commons category|Ron Hillyard}} {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillyard, Ron}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:York City F.C. players Category:Hartlepool United F.C. players Category:Bury F.C. players Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Category:Gillingham F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Gillingham F.C. non-playing staff Category:Sportspeople from the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham Category:Footballers from South Yorkshire Category:20th-century English sportsmen