Vale Ron Tindall

The football family is mourning the loss of coaching great Ron Tindall, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 76.

A former Chelsea and Portsmouth player, Tindall had a big impact on the coaching ethos of the game in Western Australia through a decade-long stint as State Director of Coaching.

One of the most knowledgeable and respected coaches, Tindall’s achievements were recognised in 2008 with the Order of Australia Medal for service to sport “particularly the development of football and through the education and development of sports coaches”.

Tindall was born in the London suburb of Streatham in 1935 and at the age of 16 was playing first team football with Camberley Wanderers.

He joined Chelsea’s new youth system in 1953 and over eight seasons turned out on 174 occasions for the club, scoring 69 goals in a prolific strike partnership with Jimmy Greaves.

After a short spell with West Ham United (13 games, 3 goals) and a season at Reading (36 games, 12 goals) before seeing out his playing days with Portsmouth (162 games, 7 goals).

In retirement Tindall coached Portsmouth for a couple of years after which he emigrated to Western Australia.

Between 1977 and 1987 he held the dual role of State Coach and Director of Coaching, a period that included time as an assistant coach with Australia’s Olympic football team.

Tindall was also a Development Coach with the Department for Recreation and Sport for 12 years, founded the Coaching Foundation of WA and helped set up the football programme at the West Australian Institute of Sport.

Tindall was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and Football West’s annual State Premier League Coach of the Year award is named in his honour.

Image: Jamie Judges

Footballaustralia.com.au