English soccer fans love to claim that their "country" has won the World Cup, while America hasn't. Well, most of them weren't even born when it happened -- and the number of living players from the team that did has dropped once again.
Ronald Flowers (no middle name) was born on July 28, 1934 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. A midfielder, he washed out of Doncaster Rovers' youth program, but was picked up by Wolverhampton Wanderers, a.k.a. "Wolves," a team from the "Black Country" northwest of Birmingham. He helped them win the Football League Division One in 1954, 1958 and 1959; and the FA Cup in 1960. (His younger brother John Flowers did stick on with Doncaster Rovers for 5 years.)
He made his debut for the England national team in 1955, and played for them in the 1962 World Cup. He scored 10 goals for the national side, including going 6-for-6 on penalties He was selected for the 1966 World Cup, on home soil, but didn't get into any of the games. England won, but only the players who played in the Final received a winner's medal. The Football Association fought for the reserve players' rights to winner's medals, and Flowers and the others finally got theirs in 2009.
He later played for Northampton Town and Telford United and briefly managed Northampton Town and Wellington Town, and later served as a club ambassador for Wolves. He and his wife, Yvonne Hart, had 2 sons. Ron Flowers died on November 12, 2021, at the age of 87.
He was the last surviving member of Wolves' 1954 League Champions, and the last from their 1960 FA Cup winners. His death leaves Bobby Mason as the last surviving member of their 1958 and 1959 League Champions. (Although still with Wolves at the time, Mason did not play in the 1960 FA Cup Final.
And it leaves 6 players still alive from England's 1966 World Cup winners: George Cohen, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst, Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan and George Eastham.
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