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.