Wallington Ernie Image 1 Watford 1921

Winger Ernie Wallington was born in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire and started his football career with Rickmansworth Town in 1919. In spite of his given first name Edward, he was known to his family as Ernie (his middle name) and to acquaintances as both Dick and Ernie. After turning out for Watford Reserves from the age of 17, he remained a Rickmansworth Town player until eventually turning professional at Vicarage Road in 1920, making his Football League debut at Brentford in March 1921. In 1921-22 he made 40 of his 54 career appearances netting 4 of his 5 career goals, his first had come in his 4th appearance at home to Crystal Palace in April 1921. An occasionally brilliant but wildly erratic right-winger, he had a good first-team run which ended permanently when Jimmy Stephenson was signed, whereafter he made only 4 more appearances in 1922-23 before being released in June 1923. Surprisingly three months later he joined First Division Arsenal, for whom he made only one senior League appearance for the Club in his brief spell in north London, featuring in a 1-0 defeat away at Newcastle in September 1923. He was later reinstated as an amateur after a solitary senior appearance and played for Watford Old Boys, joining them in 1924. Wallington’s brother George also played for Watford’s Reserves.