Ray Mielczarek

Raymond "Ray" Mielczarek (10 February 1946 – 30 October 2013) was a Welsh professional footballer who gained 1 cap for Wales during his career.[1] He was of both Polish and Luxembourgian descent.[2]

Ray Mielczarek
Personal information
Full name Raymond Mielczarek
Date of birth (1946-02-10)10 February 1946
Place of birth Caernarfon, Wales
Date of death 30 October 2013(2013-10-30) (aged 67)
Place of death Rhosddu, Wales
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1967 Wrexham 76 (0)
1967–1971 Huddersfield Town 26 (1)
1971–1974 Rotherham United 115 (7)
International career‡
1971 Wales 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 August 2007
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 August 2007

Club career

As a youngster, Mielczarek was persuaded to become an apprentice at Wrexham by club coach Ken Roberts and later captained Wales at youth level whilst playing in the team's reserve side. He made his professional league debut in 1964 against Aldershot before establishing himself in the first team. In September 1967, he left to join Huddersfield Town for a fee of around £20,000 but a snapped cruciate ligament injury sustained after playing just 25 games for the club eventually lead to him leaving to sign for Rotherham United in January 1971.[2] After making over 100 appearances for Rotherham, he was forced to retire when he suffered a recurrence of his cruciate ligament injury.

International career

Mielczarek won his only cap for Wales in a 1–0 win over Finland on 26 May 1971. He also later took part in a one-month tour of Asia and Oceania as part of a Wales XI.[3]

After football

After leaving football, Mielczarek worked in a number of professions, including as an ambulance driver, driving instructor, security officer and a cake salesman.[2]

Personal life

He was born in Caernarfon on 10 February 1946, and died on 30 October 2013 at the age of 67.[4]

References
  1. "Ray Mielczarek". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  2. "The Wayback Machine has not archived that URL". Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  3. "Wales XI Tour of Asia and Oceania 1971". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  4. "RIP – Ray Mielczarek". Wrexham F.C. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  • Hayes, Dean P. (2004). Wales The Complete Who's Who of Footballers Since 1946. Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7509-3700-9.
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