His name was Ernie...

We’d heard he was ill, but even so it came as a jolt to hear he’d passed, really quite young at 71 and a shudder of mortality for those who saw him play.

It’s a pleasure to be among those who did. When Ernie came to the Poppies in the autumn of 1988, he was already pushing 39, long after most pro footballers have hung up their boots. He had nearly 250 League goals across 750 appearances and was a legend at his home town club of Chesterfield. Did he imagine when joining us that it would be anything more than a twilight season before retirement?  Maybe not.  But it was.     

Ernie made a massive impact in that first year, providing buckets of old-pro calmness and expertise which more than offset his diminishing mobility. Through that classic FA Cup run he was there again and again at key moments. In our mind’s eye and YouTube we’ll always have that little lay off to Robbie to set up the winner v Bristol Rovers, the winner at Halifax in the replay, and then the moment that is probably the most distorted in Poppies folk memory. Last minute at Selhurst Park, Ernie doesn’t quite convert what would have been a joyous equaliser. It almost shaved the post… it did shave the post… the post was shaved closer than a man can get.  In at least one telling, the shot struck the post, dribbled agonisingly along the line and was hacked clear.

In that first season Ernie did more than enough to continue into 1989/90, where my main memory of him is his enduring fitness, and ability to win free kicks. Ernie would go down, looking a little pained. The referee blew. Harry Kane does it now, but with less finesse. By now Ernie was so ancient that a disrespectful newly launched rag tried to mine comic material from his extreme old age in all kinds of clunky ways.

In 1990/91 Ernie had moved on, with grateful thanks for his service.  We thought we’d seen the last of his durable contributions until, despite sitting on top of the Conference with a 10/12/15 point lead (depends on alcohol level when discussed), Peter Morris made a shock addition to our squad for the New Year’s Day return at Boston. Ernie Moss, former League striker, ex-Chesterfield. Now in his 42^nd year. Of course he came on and bundled in a late winner. We loved him then and we love him still.

Sleep easy old friend