Ronnie McKinnon
Scottish footballer (1940–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ronald MacKinnon (20 August 1940 – 17 September 2023), known as Ronnie McKinnon,[2] was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Rangers and the Scotland national team.
|
McKinnon (left) duelling with Willy van der Kuijlen (1968) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald MacKinnon[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 20 August 1940 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 17 September 2023 (aged 83) | ||
| Place of death | Stornoway, Scotland | ||
| Position | Central defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Benburb[2] | |||
| Dunipace[3] | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1960–1972 | Rangers | 301 | (2) |
| 1973 | Durban United | ||
| International career | |||
| 1965–1971 | Scotland | 28 | (1) |
| 1966–1971 | Scottish League XI | 9 | (0) |
| 1968[4] | Scotland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
McKinnon, a central defender who had been a winger in his youth during early spells at Junior level,[2][5] made his Rangers debut against Hearts on 8 March 1961 in a 3–0 win at Ibrox. He went on to make 487 appearances for the club in all competitions between 1961 and 1971,[3] winning two Scottish League championships, four Scottish Cups and three League Cups.[6][2]
His final Rangers appearance was in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup second round match against Sporting CP in Lisbon, where he suffered a broken leg.[6] Rangers went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup that season but McKinnon, who had been a regular for a decade but was already in the latter stages of his career, was put out of action entirely for a year due to the complications of the injury and the poor manner in which it was treated.[5][2]
International career
McKinnon won a total of 28 caps for Scotland,[7] making his debut in a 1–0 win over Italy at Hampden Park in 1965, in which Rangers teammate John Greig had scored a memorable late winner.[2] He also played in the 3–2 win over England at Wembley in 1967.[5][8] His only goal for Scotland came in a 3–2 win over Wales, also in 1967. He also represented the Scottish League XI.[9]
Later and personal life
After leaving Rangers in 1973, McKinnon moved to South Africa, where he played local football for a season.[5] He later returned to Scotland and settled on the Isle of Lewis where his mother was born and where he had spent time as a child during World War II.[5][2]
His connection to Rangers continued as he was an Honorary Member & Ambassador of The Lewis & Harris Rangers Supporters Club, and travelled to matches at Ibrox with the island fans at least once a season.
McKinnon's twin brother Donnie was also a professional footballer, spending 14 seasons with Partick Thistle as a centre-half.[10][11] He was also one of the coaches for the Scotland national team for many years.
Death
McKinnon died on 17 September 2023, at the age of 83.[12]