Ronnie Jepson

English footballer and manager

Ronald Francis Jepson (born 12 May 1963) is an English football manager, coach and former player. A striker, he scored 86 goals in 354 league games in an eleven year professional career. He moved from Nantwich Town to Port Vale in 1989, turning professional at the age of 25. Loaned out to Peterborough United in 1990, he was sold on to Preston North End for £80,000 in February 1991. He transferred to Exeter City a year later, before he moved on to Huddersfield Town in December 1993 for £70,000. He stayed with the "Terriers" for three years, helping the club to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1995. He moved to Bury for £40,000 in 1996 and helped the "Shakers" to the Second Division title in the 1996–97 campaign. He played for Oldham Athletic following a £40,000 move in January 1998, before arriving at his final club Burnley later in the year. He helped Burnley to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1999–2000 before he retired in 2000. After a spell coaching at Burnley, he was appointed as Gillingham manager in November 2005. He was in charge for two years before tendering his resignation. He then returned to the back room as a coach at Huddersfield Town, Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Leeds United, Bury, Cardiff City, Middlesbrough and Aberdeen. He took charge of Bury in October 2013 following a period as caretaker manager.

A relative latecomer to the professional game at 25, Jepson had first appeared for North West Counties League side Nantwich Town as a teenager, in August 1982. He then signed for Congleton Town and had stints at Alsager Town, Kidsgrove Athletic and Newcastle Town before re joining Nantwich from Hanley Town in the 1988 close season. He made a big impact, becoming club captain and earning the NWCL Division Two Player of the Month award for January 1989. Jepson then started his league career under John Rudge at Port Vale in March 1989. The reason for this delay was that he had to spend four years fighting manslaughter charges in Belgium for his alleged involvement in the Heysel Stadium disaster; he was finally found Not Guilty when his trial concluded in April 1989. He worked as a coal miner for six years before becoming a professional footballer. He appeared just twice for the "Valiants" in 1988–89 as they won promotion out of the Third Division, and was an unused substitute in the play off final victory over Bristol Rovers. He then played eight Second Division games in 1989–90, and seeing as he was unable to nail down a first team place at Vale Park he was loaned out to Peterborough United in January 1990 for a three month spell. He played eighteen Fourth Division games for Mark Lawrenson's "Posh", scoring five goals, as they missed out on the play offs by just three points. Back in Burslem, he played nineteen matches without scoring in 1990–91, before being sold to Preston North End for £80,000 in February 1991. He helped the "Grecians" to maintain their third tier status in 1992–93; they finished three points ahead of his former club Preston North End, who occupied the final relegation place. They did drop into the basement division in 1993–94, but Jepson left St James Park before this eventuality. He played 67 games for Exeter, scoring 25 goals, including four in one match against Wrexham. He formed a successful strike partnership with Andy Booth at Leeds Road, and scored five goals in 23 games throughout the remainder of the season, including a hat trick past York City on 22 January. The pair helped the "Terriers" to gain promotion in 1994–95, beating Bristol Rovers 2–1 in the play off final at Wembley, with Jepson crossing the ball to Booth for the opening goal of the game. He also scored twice in the final of the 1995 Yorkshire Electricity Cup, as Huddersfield beat Hull City 4–2. Over the course of the season, he made 54 appearances, scoring 23 goals, whilst Booth hit 30 goals. For his efforts, Jepson was voted the club's Player of the Year. He scored 14 goals in 48 appearances under new manager Brian Horton in 1995–96, after which Booth was sold to Sheffield Wednesday for £2.7 million. "Rocket Ronnie", as Jepson was called by the Huddersfield fans,

In May 2004, Ternent's contract at Burnley was not renewed by the club and Jepson was let go along with him. In December of the same year, Ternent became manager at Gillingham, and Jepson joined him, again as assistant manager. During the close season Jepson's assistant Mick Docherty, who had been on a short term contract, signed a new two year contract for the role, and Jepson was able to make long term adjustments to the playing squad. At the end of the 2006–07 season Jepson was once again linked with the newly vacant management position at Huddersfield, despite claiming to be happy at the Priestfield Stadium. Jepson was relieved to keep Gillingham in League One at the end of the season, however, following a poor start to the 2007–08 campaign, with five defeats from the first six matches, Jepson resigned as manager. On 24 April 2008, it was confirmed that Jepson would return to Huddersfield Town. Previously he had been approached to become the manager, though this appointment saw him reunited with Stan Ternent, who was the newly appointed manager at the club, Jepson would once again become his assistant. The next month the pair were joined by Mick Docherty, who joined as first team coach, having previously worked with Jepson and Ternent at Burnley. After just six months at the club, all three men left the club in November 2008 after a difference of opinion with the board of directors. Jepson spent a year out of football before joining his former manager at Huddersfield, Neil Warnock, then at Crystal Palace, as reserve team coach in July 2009. where he remained until Warnock's resignation in April 2013. He was appointed as Kevin Blackwell's assistant manager at League Two side Bury in June 2013. Blackwell was sacked on 14 October, and Jepson was appointed as caretaker manager. It was later confirmed that he would remain as manager until at least January. However, the club announced David Flitcroft as their new manager on 9 December 2013, and Jepson was released from his contract. He returned to the game in October 2016, when newly appointed Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock named Jepson as his first team coach. Warnock and his staff, including Jepson, were sacked in November 2019. He and Blackwell rejoined Warnock in his new role at Middlesbrough in June 2020. The trio were removed from their positions in November 2021. On 13 February 2023, Jepson again followed Warnock as his assistant manager to Huddersfield Town, the club where Jepson had won promotion as a player under Warnock and also worked as Stan Ternent's assistant manager briefly in 2008. Warnock described Jepson as a "colossus" as the duo guided Huddersfield to safety at the end of the Championship season. Warnock and Jepson signed new one year contracts in June 2023, only to depart three months later. In February 2024, Warnock was appointed interim manager of Aberdeen and again appointed Jepson as his assistant. Warnock and Jepson left the club the following month.

His son, Oliver, also played non League football.