ONE of Oxford City’s finest footballers and goalscorers, Ron Goodison, has died aged 80.

Mr Goodison scored 138 goals for the club in the 1950s and 60s - the sixth most in its history - and appeared 431 times, the fifth highest of any player.

The father-of-two worked on the production line at Pressed Steel in Cowley for nearly 30 years before working for Oxford City Council.

Wife Beryl said he was ‘always a gentleman’ and loved by City fans.

Ron Goodison was born on August 22, 1936, in Birmingham to parents Harold and Violet.

He was brought up in the city with his two older brothers Roy and Desmond and older sister Sheila.

A talented sportsman from a young age, he played football for his school and the youth team at West Bromwich Albion.

In a chance encounter at the age of 16 he met his future wife Beryl Watts on the corner of Birmingham street - she was walking home from a dance with a friend at the time.

Two years later he joined the RAF for his three-year National Service, which took him to Benson and ultimately Oxford City.

The couple, who married at Birmingham registry office in 1954, had two children, Shelley and Steven during his time with the RAF.

In 1957 after he completed his stint with the RAF he began working on the production line at Pressed Steel at Cowley, the family lived in Cowley initially before moving to Old Marston.

At the beginning of the 1956-57 football season he joined Oxford City, who were in the Isthmian League at the time.

The start of the decade had seen the club’s fortunes decline - regularly finishing towards the bottom of the table and were warned a further slump could see them thrown out of the league.

In Goodison’s first season they finished fourth and only finished outside the top ten twice in his 13 seasons with the club.

He has the fifth most appearances for Oxford City - 431 - and the sixth highest goalscorer with 138 goals, including 44 goals in 1958-59.

He left to join Chesham United for one season (1961-62) before returning the following year.

After leaving the club in 1970 he went on to play for Banbury United before retiring and taking up golf in his latter years.

He died last month and is survived by his wife Beryl, children Shelley and Steven, two grandchildren Jessica and Jon, and five great-grandchildren.