I was born in Barking, Essex, in 1974, and named after Ronnie Boyce - Dad’s favourite West Ham player and the man who scored the winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup Final. Football was part of the furniture in our house, and by the time I was old enough to lace a pair of boots, Dad had me kicking a ball around the garden pretending to be Boyce himself.
In 1990, I joined the famed West Ham academy as a centre forward, living every kid’s dream. My progress was halted by a serious ACL injury, and although I fought my way back, the Hammers moved in a different direction. Colchester United offered me a fresh start in 1992, and I grabbed it with both hands.
Two years later, George Burley brought me to Ipswich Town during their Premier League spell. I never made a first team appearance, but Portman Road left its mark on me in another way - that’s where I picked up the nickname 'Retro'. The lads used to rib me for turning up in vintage shirts, talking about old West Ham sides, and listening to 60s, 70s and 80s music on a battered Walkman. The name stuck, and I’ve worn it proudly ever since.
After Town’s relegation, I moved on to Charlton and later Millwall, before returning to Colchester in 2002. I stayed with the U’s until injury finally forced my retirement at the end of their emotional farewell season at Layer Road in 2007–08.
Growing up in the 1980s - before the internet, smartphones and endless scrolling - Ceefax and Oracle were my lifeline for football news, live scores and transfer gossip. That’s why I was delighted when John invited me to join the team at Retrotext: a chance to celebrate the pixelated magic that shaped my football childhood.
These days I’m based in Constable Country, splitting my time between media work, coaching, and contributing to this website, helping to keep the spirit of teletext alive!
Look out for more Retrotext stories and follow Retro Ronnie’s Blog for nostalgic football memories, teletext-era tales and retro matchday culture.