Ron Newman

Who is Ron Newman?

Ronald Vernon Newman is a former association football player and coach. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Born near Portsmouth, Newman, after non-league football with Woking, played in the Football League with Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace and Gillingham. In 1967 Newman came to the United States to play for the Atlanta Chiefs in the National Professional Soccer League, before being traded to the Dallas Tornado during the 1968 season. In addition to playing for the Tornado, Newman also served as an assistant coach during the 1968 season.

The next year, Newman became both the head coach, as well as a player, for the Tornado until 1974. At the end of that season, he retired from playing and became the team's dedicated head coach for the 1975 season. He took the Tornado to the NASL championship in 1971. In 1976, he coached the Los Angeles Skyhawks of the American Soccer League, taking them to the ASL championship, making Newman the only coach to win both an NASL and ASL title. He then returned to the NASL in 1977 to coach the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, where he stayed until 1979.