Ernest Blackwell (19 July 1894 – 16 October 1964) was a

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

, spending the majority of his career at his hometown club of Sheffield United. Born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

he was the cousin of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

keeper

Sam Hardy Sam Hardy may refer to: * Sam Hardy (actor) * Sam Hardy (footballer) Sam Hardy (26 August 1882 – 24 October 1966) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Football career In 1902, Chesterfield manager Jack Hoskin beat Derby Co ...

and brother of

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

keeper Harry Blackwell.

Career

Blackwell made his name at

Scunthorpe & Lindsey United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The te ...

before being signed by Sheffield United in May 1914. He was seen as understudy to Harold Gough and

Ted Hufton Arthur Edward Hufton (25 November 1892 – 2 February 1967) was an England international goalkeeper who earned six caps for his country. Born in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, he spent the majority of his career at West Ham United but also had sp ...

and as such his appearances were limited throughout his time at

Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramal ...

. Having spent some time in the navy as a fitness instructor, he remained at the club for the duration of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, making sporadic appearances for the Blades and guesting for Leicester Fosse, Crystal Palace and cross town rivals

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...

. After the war, Blackwell seemed happy with his role at the club, making only infrequent appearances, the highlight of his career coming when he played in the 1923 FA Cup semi-final. Injuries began to take their toll and after a bout of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

he was advised that a blow to the abdomen could have terminal results and he was forced to retire. In recognition of his service, United presented him with a grant of £500 to commence a new business venture, a hire purchase warehouse unit in the Spital Hill area of Sheffield as well as becoming the landlord of several semi-detached houses in the Norton area of Sheffield.

Personal life

Blackwell was a committed Methodist and a practising lay-preacher meaning he would sometimes miss fixtures played on religious dates. He died, aged 70, in his home town of Sheffield.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell, Ernest 1894 births 1964 deaths Footballers from Sheffield English footballers English Football League players Association football goalkeepers Forgemasters Sports & Social F.C. players Scunthorpe United F.C. players Sheffield United F.C. players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. wartime guest players Crystal Palace F.C. wartime guest players Leicester City F.C. wartime guest players