A GOUROCk born and bred man who was promising footballer turned media boss for a global company before championing sports for young people and representing his town, has told of his pride in Inverclyde.

Ronnie Ahlfeld BEM, who grew up on Shore Street, says his idyllic childhood gave him the love and security to be all he wanted to be, and to help others do the same.

Ronnie, 76, the only child of Robert (Robbie) and Agnes, said: "I have great memories. My dad's sister lived below us and my mum's sister lived above us. I had friends that I have had all my life."

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He attended St Ninian's Primary and St Columba's High School in Peat Road, Greenock.

He left at 17 and was heading to Jordanhill College to be a PE teacher but his dream was to be a footballer.

Ronnie said: "I had lots of opportunities in Scotland but I wanted to play in England. Arsenal invited me down and I spent a couple of weeks there but that didn't work out.

"I had been asked down by West Ham before that and my trial game was a friendly with the first team and three of the guys - Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters went on to win the World Cup in 1966.

"It was a terrific experience, the only compromise was that football can be up and down, so I got a job as well just to see how things worked out.

"I worked at London Docks and played football part time for West Ham and I lived in Chelsea."

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Ronnie recalled that one Sunday he and his friends were playing in Hyde Park and somebody kicked the ball, hitting Lady Clementine Churchill, wife of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill who was walking through the park.

He said: "One of the guys ran up to a policeman and he went to her assistance."

Weeks later a chauffeur-driven car showed up outside their flat and they were invited to tea with Lady Churchill.

Ronnie said: "She was a very gracious lady, Winston had died the previous year. She recalled that he had said that so many young people of our age had sacrificed so much and hoped that future generations never forgot that sacrifice."

Ronnie's foray into London was short-lived after injury put paid to his footballing career and he returned home in 1966.

He said: "I got a bad knee injury and I couldn't get back to the level where I wanted to be and I was a bit homesick."

Ronnie went to the Customs House in Greenock, but decided it wasn't for him, and in 1969 he joined IBM and 'never looked back'.

And on a personal level it was love match when he tied the knot with local girl, Rose, at St Andrew's Church in Larkfield, a year later.

They were blessed with sons Robert and Ross, three grandchildren Robert, Samuel and Reuben, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2020.

Ronnie's began playing football with Dunoon Juniors and then worked with Morton for 13 years, coaching the youth teams and scouting for senior players.

He and best friend Brian Woods, who was Scottish Juveniles captain, along with others, formed Gourock Yac in 1970.

Ronnie, honorary president of the club, said: "We started with one team and this rose to 15 teams, we took the boys to international tournaments, to America twice and the World Cup in 1990.

"Five thousand people came along to see Graeme Souness and Jimmy Johnstone play in Gourock, it was a massive success story for the club."

Ronnie's son Robert is now manager of the club.

In 1990, Ronnie received the British Empire Medal for services to the youth community of Scotland.

When he retired from IBM 37 years later he had risen to become regional communications manager, organising royal visits, as well as welcoming political and industry leaders.

Ronnie worked at the company's training centre in Brussels and enjoyed business trips to Paris and Madrid.

He said: "IBM gave people opportunities that they might not have had anywhere else. It gave people the chance to improve themselves and it gave them the means to do it.

"The company believed in its workforce. The conditions were unparalleled and they promoted from within."

He retired in 2006 and after a spell lecturing at Glasgow Metropolitan College, decided to become a councillor.

Ronnie was successfully elected as an independent in 2007 and served for three terms.

He said: "My number one priority was always Gourock.

"When you got things done it was great but when you were struggling to get things done, it wasn't so great.

"I was really lucky, during the first term I was part of a coalition which allowed us to get the town centre redeveloped and £2million funding to get Gourock pool refurbished.

"We made some improvements in the parks and helped to get kids participating more in sport, I was the champion for sport and deputy Provost.

"Some smashing things have happened in the town. But politicians must do everything to bring good quality jobs to Inverclyde, to encourage young people to work and stay here. Do everything possible to help young people achieve their potential."

"Inverclyde has fantastic people who work every day to make things better for others".