Ronnie Sharp (born 30 January 1948) is a Scottish

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played in the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

and

Mexican Primera División Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...

Career

Born on 30 January 1948, in Scotland, Sharp began his football career with junior side

Glenrothes Glenrothes ( ; ; , ) is a town situated in the heart of Fife, in east-central Scotland. It had a population of 39,277 in the 2011 census, making it the third largest settlement in Fife and the 18th most populous locality in Scotland. Glenroth ...

. The winger played part-time with

Scottish Second Division The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SF ...

side

Cowdenbeath Cowdenbeath () is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is north-east of Dunfermline and north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a police burgh in 1890. According to a 20 ...

from 1968 to 1973.

Miami Toros The Miami Toros were a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League (1968–1984), North American Soccer League from 1972 to 1976. The club was founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts, and moved to Miami, where they played the ...

' coach John Young scouted Sharp on a trip to Scotland, and he joined the NASL club in 1973. During the off-season, Sharp and teammates

Warren Archibald Warren "Laga" Archibald (born 1949) is a Trinidadian former soccer player who played as an inside left. He spent one season in the United Soccer Association and nine in the North American Soccer League (1968-1984), North American Soccer League, ...

and

Steve David Steve David (born 11 March 1951 in Point Fortin, Trinidad) is a Trinidadian former North American Soccer League and international football player. Club career David began his professional career with Police in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1974, he ...

joined Mexican side San Luis for five weeks of the 1973–74 Mexican Primera División season. Sharp returned to the Miami Toros for three more seasons before finishing his career with the

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994) The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team establishe ...

in 1977. He was named to the 1975 NASL All-Star team. Sharp owned the

Fort Lauderdale Sun Fort Lauderdale/South Florida Sun was a professional U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. Origins In November 1983, The Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League, motivated in part by the lack ...

of the

United Soccer League The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...

in 1984, but was forced to sell the team shortly after winning the

USL championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...

, because of his involvement in a Texas marijuana smuggling operation. In September 1984, he testified as a witness for the U.S. government, as part of a plea deal. Sworn testimony indicated that Sharp was more likely a middle-man than an active participant in the operation.

References

1948 births Living people Scottish men's footballers Cowdenbeath F.C. players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players Miami Toros players Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983) players San Luis F.C. players Liga MX players Scottish Football League players Men's association football wingers Scottish expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Scottish expatriate sportspeople in the United States Scottish expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Glenrothes F.C. players Scottish Junior Football Association players 20th-century Scottish sportsmen {{Scotland-footy-midfielder-1940s-stub