Ernie Watkins
Encyclopedia
Ernest Thomas "Ernie" Watkins (3 April 1898 – 10 October 1976) was an English
professional footballer who scored 88 goals from 202 appearances in the Football League
playing for Birmingham
, Southend United
, Brentford
, Millwall
, Fulham
, Gillingham
and Charlton Athletic
.
, then part of Middlesex
. He began his playing career in local football with Barnet
and Finchley
before joining Birmingham
in October 1922. He went straight into the starting eleven for his debut in the First Division
on 4 November in a goalless draw at home to Cardiff City
. He scored in the return fixture the following week, and kept his place for a few more games before dropping to the reserves
. After that he played only twice more for the first team, standing in for the unavailable Jackie Whitehouse
, then returned to the south-east of England in February 1924 to join Southend United
.
Watkins scored at a rate of a goal every other game for Southend, with 17 goals from 34 games in all competitions, including 15 from 32 in the Third Division South
, but late in 1925 he was required to play for the reserves. He scored four goals as Southend beat Chelsea
reserves 5–1 in the London Combination on New Year's Eve
, but a "breach of club rules" occurring later that day brought the player a two-week suspension and a place on the transfer list. A few days later he signed for fellow Third Division club Brentford
.
Described as "a goal poacher whose best work was done inside the area", Watkins was Brentford's leading scorer in both the 1926–27 and 1928–29 seasons, and (at 2009) lay seventh in the club's all-time scorers list with 59 goals from 130 appearances. In February 1930 he joined Millwall
of the Second Division
, and then completed his tour of London- and Kent
-based Third Division clubs which took in spells with Fulham
, Gillingham
and Charlton Athletic
. In February 1932, while a Charlton player, he sustained a knee injury which forced his retirement from the game at the end of the 1931–32 season.
Watkins died in his native Finchley
in 1976 at the age of 78.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who scored 88 goals from 202 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Playing career
Watkins was born in FinchleyMunicipal Borough of Finchley
Finchley was a local government district in Middlesex, England, from 1878 to 1965. It formed part of the northern suburbs of London and was within the Metropolitan Police District and London Passenger Transport Area. Its former area now forms part of the London Borough of Barnet.-Formation:The...
, then part of Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. He began his playing career in local football with Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
and Finchley
Wingate and Finchley F.C.
Wingate & Finchley F.C. is an English football club based in Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet. The club are currently members of the Premier Division of the Isthmian League and play at The Harry Abrahams Stadium.-History:...
before joining Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in October 1922. He went straight into the starting eleven for his debut in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
on 4 November in a goalless draw at home to Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. He scored in the return fixture the following week, and kept his place for a few more games before dropping to the reserves
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
. After that he played only twice more for the first team, standing in for the unavailable Jackie Whitehouse
Jackie Whitehouse
John Charles "Jackie" Whitehouse was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. He made more than 400 appearances in the Football League for Birmingham, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic.-Playing career:Whitehouse was born in Smethwick,...
, then returned to the south-east of England in February 1924 to join Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
.
Watkins scored at a rate of a goal every other game for Southend, with 17 goals from 34 games in all competitions, including 15 from 32 in the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
, but late in 1925 he was required to play for the reserves. He scored four goals as Southend beat Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
reserves 5–1 in the London Combination on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, but a "breach of club rules" occurring later that day brought the player a two-week suspension and a place on the transfer list. A few days later he signed for fellow Third Division club Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
.
Described as "a goal poacher whose best work was done inside the area", Watkins was Brentford's leading scorer in both the 1926–27 and 1928–29 seasons, and (at 2009) lay seventh in the club's all-time scorers list with 59 goals from 130 appearances. In February 1930 he joined Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, and then completed his tour of London- and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
-based Third Division clubs which took in spells with Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. In February 1932, while a Charlton player, he sustained a knee injury which forced his retirement from the game at the end of the 1931–32 season.
Watkins died in his native Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
in 1976 at the age of 78.