Editing Ron Atkinson (section)

==Early life and playing career==
Atkinson was born in [[Liverpool]] in the [[Old Swan]] area of the city with his brother [[Graham Atkinson]] who was also a professional footballer. After a few years his family moved to Shard End (then in [[Warwickshire]], now an area of [[Birmingham]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/ron-atkinson-celebrates-75th-birthday-6837454|title=Ron Atkinson at 75: 'I would have done it all for nothing|first=Graham|last=Young|date=16 March 2014|website=BirminghamLive|access-date=24 August 2020}}</ref> He attended Lea Village Secondary School.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/ron-atkinson-celebrates-75th-birthday-6837454| title = Ron Atkinson at 75: 'I would have done it all for nothing| website = Birmingham Mail| date = 16 March 2014}} </ref> After beginning his career as a ground staff boy at [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2016/11/21/ron-atkinson-how-cullis-changed-the-world/|title=Ron Atkinson: How Stan Cullis changed the world « Express & Star|website=www.expressandstar.com|access-date=28 November 2016|archive-date=29 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129092013/http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2016/11/21/ron-atkinson-how-cullis-changed-the-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref> he was signed by [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] from works team BSA Tools at the age of 17, but never played a first-team match for them.<ref name=Hugman>{{cite book |editor-first=Barry J. |editor-last=Hugman |title=The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998 |date=1998 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |isbn=978-1-85291-585-8 |page=31}}</ref> He has referred to then Villa coach [[Jimmy Hogan]] as his biggest influence.<ref name="Total Football">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/nov/22/sport.comment2|title=How total football inventor was lost to Hungary|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 September 2010|date=22 November 2003|location=London}}</ref>

Atkinson was transferred to [[Oxford United F.C.|Headington United]] (renamed Oxford United in 1960) in the summer of 1959 on a free transfer. There he played alongside his younger brother [[Graham Atkinson|Graham]]. He went on to make over 500 appearances in all competitions as a wing-half for the club, earning, in his playing days the nickname: "The Tank", and scoring a total of fourteen goals. He was United's captain through their rise from the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], achieved in only six years from 1962 to 1968. He was the first ever footballer to captain a club from the Southern League through three divisions of the Football League and played three seasons in the Second Division.