Ron Yeats

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Ronald 'Ron' Yeats (born Aberdeen, Scotland, November 15, 1937) was the captain of the first great Liverpool team of the 1960s.

1 Life and playing career
2 Statistics
3 Career Honours

[edit] Life and playing career

Yeats was a Under 15 Schoolboy international who played or Aberdeen Lads clubs when signed for Dundee United, worked in a slaughter house before he turned professional.

Yeats, a stockily-built 6ft 2in central defender, was bought by manager Bill Shankly in 1961 from United and was immediately installed as captain as Liverpool gained promotion from the Second Division after eight seasons away from football's top flight. He made his debut in a 2-0 league victory over Bristol Rovers at Eastville on the 19th August 1961, his first goal came 2 years later in the 75th minute of the 1-0 First Division victory over bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on the 23rd November 1963.

When Yeats was signed, Shankly was so impressed and proud of the physical presence of his new player that he told waiting journalists to "come in and walk around him". Yeats lived up to the reputation, and his nickname "The Colossus," his huge frame gave him, playing at the heart of Liverpool's defence for a decade and winning the club's first major honours in nearly 20 years.

Liverpool won the League championship in 1964 and then picked up their first-ever FA Cup a year later, beating Leeds United 2-1 in the final at Wembley. Yeats was gleeful as his lifted the trophy, though he suffered disappointment at the same time as Liverpool lost in the European Cup semi-final to Inter Milan.

Yeats skippered Liverpool to another League title in 1966 and during this period also won two caps for Scotland, the first came on the 3rd October '64 in a 3-2 defeat to Wales at Ninian Park Cardiff. The success of Liverpool then dried up, and he was one of the high-profile victims of a massive cull of the older players which Shankly ruthlessly undertook in 1970 in an effort to rebuild the side for a new decade. After 454 games, Yeats left for Tranmere Rovers in 1971 and eventually became their manager.

In 1986, Yeats returned to Anfield as the club's chief scout, responsible for delegating duties to the club's talent spotters. He remained in that role until his retirement in May, 2006.

Still held in high regard amongst the Liverpool faithful he was voted 29th in the Official Liverpool website poll '100 Players Who Shook The Kop'.

[edit] Statistics

**Club Performance**
Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Others		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Tranmere Rovers	1973-74	36	2	?	?	?	?	0	0	0	0	36	2
	1972-73	42	1	?	?	?	?	0	0	0	0	42	1
	1971-72	18	3	?	?	?	?	0	0	0	0	18	3
Liverpool FC	1970-71	12	1	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	16	1
	1969-70	37	3	6	0	2	0	3	0	0	0	48	3
	1968-69	39	2	4	0	3	0	2	0	0	0	48	2
	1967-68	38	2	9	0	2	0	6	1	0	0	55	3
	1966-67	40	2	4	0	-	-	5	0	1	0	50	2
	1965-66	42	2	1	0	-	-	9	0	1	0	53	3
	1964-65	35	0	8	0	-	-	9	1	1	0	53	1
	1963-64	36	1	5	0	-	-	0	0	0	0	41	1
	1962-63	38	0	6	0	-	-	0	0	0	0	44	0
	1961-62	41	0	5	0	-	-	0	0	0	0	46	0
Club	Season	Scott League		Scott Cup		League Cup		Europe		Others		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Dundee United	1960-61	28	0	1	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	35	0
	1959-60	33	1	2	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	40	1
	1958-59	19	0	4	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	26	0
	1957-58	15	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
Total		550	19	59	0	21	0	36	2	3	1	669	22