Ernie Curtis
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ernest Robert Curtis[1] | ||
Date of birth | 10 June 1907 | ||
Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
Date of death | November 1992 (aged 85) | ||
Place of death | Cardiff, Wales | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
Position(s) |
Outside left | ||
Youth career | |||
Cardiff Corinthians | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1925–1928 | Cardiff City | 46 | (8) |
1928–1933 | Birmingham | 165 | (44) |
1933–1935 | Cardiff City | 16 | (6) |
1935–1937 | Coventry City | 21 | (2) |
1937–1938 | Hartlepools United | 16 | (1) |
Total | 264 | (61) | |
International career | |||
1927–1933 | Wales | 3 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Ernest Robert Curtis (10 June 1907 – November 1992) was a Welsh professional
Curtis was sold to
During World War II, Curtis served in the 77th Division of the 2nd Welsh Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, but was captured in Java in 1941. He spent the rest of the war in a prisoner-of-war camp. He later worked as a trainer for Cardiff before becoming a publican.
Club career
Cardiff City
A Welsh schoolboy international, Curtis was playing amateur football with Cardiff Corinthians, also working as an electrician,[2] when he joined Cardiff City in 1925. On his signing, he was initially an amateur with the side and featured in the reserve team before being offered his first professional contract in 1926.[3] He made his senior debut for Cardiff on 25 September 1926 in a 2–0 defeat to Manchester United, replacing Potter Smith in the starting lineup. In the following match, he scored his first goal for the club during a 6–3 defeat to Derby County.[4] He featured more than 30 times in all competitions during his debut season, which was also limited by an ankle injury sustained in March 1927. As a result he missed the club's FA Cup semi-final victory over Reading, as well as six league matches.[3][4]
Curtis had previously played in all five matches en route to the club reaching the
The following year, Curtis began the season in the first team and also played in Cardiff's 1927 FA Charity Shield victory over amateur side Corinthians on 12 October 1927. However, he gradually fell out of favour and made his final appearance for the club on 5 March 1928 in a 1–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.[7]
Birmingham
Curtis was sold to Birmingham in March 1928 for a £3,000 fee.[8] His transfer was completed in time for him to make his debut for the club in a 4–1 victory over Sheffield United on 12 March, and the Athletic News reported that he "fitted into the side perfectly, and was responsible for some really clever touches".[9] His first full season with the club, the 1928–29 campaign, was disrupted by injury problems; he was stretchered off with a knee issue during a match against Newcastle United on 17 November 1928 that required the attention of a specialist.[10] In the opening months of 1929, Curtis was forced to undergo a knee operation that kept him out of the side for more than a month.[11]
In September 1929, Birmingham had taken a 3–1 lead away to
For his first two years at Birmingham, Curtis had been used at
Curtis continued as a regular in the side. Over the next couple of seasons he missed around a dozen matches, considerably fewer than at the start of his Birmingham career, and he and Bradford were joint top scorers with 14 goals in the 1932–33 season.[22] At the end of that season, manager Leslie Knighton left for Chelsea. His successor, George Liddell, brought in several new players and was willing to let go those he thought past their prime, one of whom was Curtis.[23] He had contributed 45 goals from 165 appearances in the First Division, and 9 goals from 17 FA Cup ties.[24]
Return to Cardiff and later clubs
Curtis rejoined Cardiff in November 1933 after five years with Birmingham with his hometown club now playing in the Third Division South.[25] He made his first appearance on his return on 2 December in a 4–0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Cardiff were experiencing a poor run of form on his arrival and Curtis suffered defeats in his first four appearances, scoring his first goal since his return in a 3–1 defeat against Northampton Town in the third of these matches.[26] Curtis featured in 19 consecutive matches in all competitions following his return, scoring 7 times, and took up the captaincy of the squad after Tom Maidment stepped down from the role.[27] However, he became involved in a dispute with the club over wages and was placed on the transfer list in July 1934 after failing to agree terms.[28] Curtis remained contracted to Cardiff until 1935 but did not feature in a senior fixture after March 1934 and even returned to Birmingham where he began running a pub.[1][29]
He was sold to
International career
Curtis made his debut for Wales on 29 October 1927, scoring in a 2–2 draw with Scotland in the 1927–28 British Home Championship.[1] However, following his move to Birmingham, Curtis rarely featured for the national side after the club frequently refused to release him for international duty.[5] He also turned down at least one call-up himself to assist Birmingham when they were struggling against relegation.[14] His second cap came four years after the first, in a 3–2 defeat against Scotland in which he scored both of his side's goals. He gave Wales the lead after converting a penalty kick he had won himself before adding a second later in the game.[a][33] His third and final appearance came on 4 November 1933 in a 1–1 draw with Ireland.[1]
Personal life
Curtis married Gwendoline McJennett, the sister of his Cardiff City teammate Jack McJennett,[34] in August 1928 at St. Paul's Church in Cardiff.[35] At the outbreak of the Second World War he joined the 77th Division of the 2nd Welsh Brigade, Royal Field Artillery along with four other footballers: Billy James, Jackie Pritchard, Billy Baker and Bobby Tobin. Their unit was posted to the Far East, where they were captured by Japanese forces in Java in 1941 and spent the duration of the war in a prisoner-of-war camp before being released in September 1945.[36][37] During his time in the camp, Curtis taught Japanese officers how to play football with a ball made out of paper in order to obtain food. The effects of his imprisonment led Curtis to lose nearly half his body weight and his son later remarked how Curtis' wife barely recognised him on his return home.[37] Curtis later attributed his survival to the fitness obtained from his football career.[21]
After the war, Curtis rejoined Cardiff as a trainer and remained with the club until the 1960s in various roles.[5] He later managed the Ninian Park and Landsowne Hotel pubs in Cardiff.[38] He died in Cardiff in November 1992, aged 85. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving member of Cardiff City's 1927 FA Cup final winning team.[5][39]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other[nb 1] | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Cardiff City | 1926–27[4] | First Division | 26 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 36 | 7 |
1927–28[7] | First Division | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
Total | 46 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 57 | 10 | ||
Birmingham[24] | 1927–28 | First Division | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
1928–29 | First Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
1929–30 | First Division | 25 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |
1930–31 | First Division | 40 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 14 | |
1931–32 | First Division | 35 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 13 | |
1932–33 | First Division | 36 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 14 | |
1933–34 | First Division | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
Total | 165 | 45 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 54 | ||
Cardiff City | 1933–34[26] | Third Division South | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 7 |
1934–35[40] | Third Division South | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 7 | ||
Coventry City[24] | 1934–35 | Third Division South | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
1935–36 | Third Division South | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
1936–37 | Second Division | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
Total | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 | ||
Hartlepools United[24] | 1937–38 | Third Division North | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
Career total | 264 | 62 | 24 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 297 | 74 |
- FA Charity Shield, Welsh Cup and the Football League Third Division South Cup.
International goals
- Scores and results list Wales goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Curtis goal.[1]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 29 October 1927 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales | Scotland | 2–2 | 1927–28 British Home Championship |
2 | 31 October 1931 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales | Scotland | 2–3 | 1931–32 British Home Championship |
3 | 31 October 1931 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales | Scotland | 2–3 | 1931–32 British Home Championship |
Honours
Cardiff City[2]
Birmingham
- 1931
Notes
- ^ Some period newspaper reports attribute the second goal to Taffy O'Callaghan but contemporary sources credit Curtis with the goal.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-872424-11-8.
- ^ ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
- ^ a b "E. Curtis". Daily Herald. 16 April 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d Shepherd 2002, p. 28
- ^ a b c d e f "Our 'Ern". Cardiff City F.C. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ Shuttleworth, Peter (4 January 2009). "Cup Friends Reunited". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ a b Shepherd 2002, p. 29
- ^ Matthews 1995, p. 85
- ^ "Curtis Pleases". Athletic News. 12 March 1928. p. 3. Retrieved 26 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Curtis's Injury". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 20 November 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Footballers in the Limelight". Sunday Mirror. 10 March 1929. p. 29. Retrieved 30 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Forward (30 September 1929). "Blues' Misfortune at Ewood Park". Birmingham Gazette. p. 10. Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Hibbs, Harry (1 October 1938). "On "Pongo" Waring's Ability and Pranks". Sports Argus. p. 6. Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Bertie Williams Leaves for Belfast". Western Daily Press. 31 January 1930. p. 9. Retrieved 8 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Old Blue (1 February 1930). "Bit of History". Sports Argus. p. 4. Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Matthews 1995, pp. 170–172
- ^ Matthews 1995, pp. 85–86, 173–175
- ^ "Curtis Carries Birmingham Through". Star Green 'Un. 14 March 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "F.A. Cup Final". The Scotsman. 25 April 1931. p. 18. Retrieved 6 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "'Blues' Well on the Way to Wembley". Sports Argus. 14 February 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 6 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Blues Veteran Dies". Sandwell Evening Mail. 28 November 1992. p. 41. Retrieved 5 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Matthews 1995, pp. 174–175
- ^ Matthews 1995, p. 20
- ^ a b c d "Player search: Curtis, ER (Ernie)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Ernest Curtis Returns to Cardiff City". Western Mail. 22 November 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 27 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b Shepherd 2002, p. 35
- ^ "City's Next Opponents". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 December 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 7 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Curtis For Transfer". Yorkshire Evening Post. 27 June 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 27 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d e "Curtis Joins Hartlepool". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 7 July 1937. p. 18. Retrieved 5 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Punts, Points & Passes". Star Green 'Un. 26 January 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 27 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Spot Kicks". Leicester Evening Mail. 9 February 1935. p. 17. Retrieved 27 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Ringing the Changes". Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail. 27 December 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 7 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Scotland's Skilful Play". Western Mail. 2 November 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 5 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Obituary". Western Mail. 26 August 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 9 December 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Popular Footballer Weds". Daily Mirror. 6 August 1928. p. 28. Retrieved 26 November 2020 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ISBN 9780752485928.
- ^ a b "Son of 1927 hero backs Bluebirds". BBC Sport. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
- ^ "Wanted: A home for my brother's legacy". WalesOnline. Media Wales. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- ^ Shepherd 2002, p. 36
Bibliography
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- Shepherd, Richard (2002). The Definitive: Cardiff City F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData Publications. ISBN 978-1-899468-17-1.