Stevenson: Ernest (Ernie)
1951-1952
(Player Details)
Inside Left
Born: Rotherham: 28-12-1923
Debut v Sheffield United (h): 03-02-1951
5’6” 10st 6lb (1951)
After playing for Wath Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ nursery side, he was a junior
at Molineux during the war, but that did not stop Major Frank Buckley giving him his chance
at the age of seventeen in the 1941-42 season. He went on to score six times in twenty-eight
games and played in the first leg of the League North Cup in 1942 on 23rd May 1942 in a 2-2
draw with Sunderland at Roker Park, in a Wolves forward line that contained Frank Broome,
Alex McIntosh, Denis Westcott and an equally youthful Jimmy Mullen. He did not play in the
second leg at Molineux, which Wolves won 4-1, his replacement, Jack Rowley of Manchester
United, scoring twice. However, he was in the team on 6th June 1942, when Wolves played a
1-1 draw with Brentford, the winners of the Southern Cup, at Stamford Bridge, in a Friendly
for the King George’s Fund for Sailors. In the following season of 1942-43 he scored twice
in three appearances for Wolves. Like so many of his contemporaries his career was severely
disrupted by the Second World War. After the resumption of the Football League Stevenson
failed to feature in the strong post war Wolves First Division side, and played just eight
League games in two seasons for them, without scoring, and so after playing his final game
for them at Ayresome Park in a 4-2 win over Middlesbrough on 1st January 1948, in October
1948 he went to Second Division Cardiff City for £10,000. He was an instant hit and scored
fourteen goals in the League and one in the F.A. Cup to top score for the Bluebirds in his
first season. But his goals dried up in his second season when he could manage only three.
In February 1950 he was exchanged for Wilf Grant of Southampton and he made his Saints'
debut in a 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on 11th March 1950. He had scored
fifteen League goals in 50 appearances while at Ninian Park. He was unable to recapture
his goalscoring form at the Dell and after managing five in the first season that he was
there. He took his tally to eight in twenty-three games. Ironically the three came in two
games, the first against his former club on 14th October 1950 in a 2-2 draw at Ninian Park,
in which he scored both goals, and the other at Elland Road, against his next team to be,
in a 5-3 win for Leeds on 13th January 1951. A week later he played his final game for
Southampton in a 2-2 draw at the Dell with West Ham United. For the second time, he was
involved in a player-exchange deal, this time Frank Dudley went to the Dell and he was
re-united with Major Frank Buckley, his mentor in his teenage years, at Elland Road.
Dudley's signature being obtained on the Leeds to London train. Stevenson made his debut
at Elland Road on 3rd February 1951 in a 1-0 win and he played six games, in which he
scored twice, once in a 3-2 win at Luton Town and then the only goal of the game at Bury
in the next game, before missing three games through injury. When recovered, he took his
goals to four in thirteen games as he played all the subsequent League games. The 1951-52
season started poorly for Leeds and after three games they had only amassed two points.
Even though he had scored one of the two goals that United had managed he was left out
first for George Miller and then Charlie Hughes. The arrival of Don Mills, near the end
of September, saw the writing on the wall. Stevenson had already played his last game for
Leeds in his third game of the season at Doncaster Rovers on 25th August 1951, and was
transferred to Non-League Wisbech Town, who had been newly elected into the Midland League,
for £1,000 at the end of the season. He had a succession of seasons playing in Non-League,
joining Bath City where he scored seven goals in thirty-four games, Rhyl Athleticand South
Liverpool FC. He died in St Helens on 15th October 1970, aged forty-six.