Ernie Morgan

Ernest Morgan (13 January 1927 – 3 October 2013) was an English professional football player and manager. He spent the bulk of his career with Gillingham, where he set a record for the highest number of goals scored in a single season which still stands.

Ernie Morgan
Personal information
Full name Ernest Morgan
Date of birth (1927-01-13)13 January 1927
Place of birth Royston, England
Date of death 3 October 2013(2013-10-03) (aged 86)
Place of death Rainham, Kent, England
Playing position(s) Striker
Youth career
1943–? Royston Youth Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
?–1949 Royston Colliery ? (?)
1949–1953 Lincoln City[1] 3 (0)
1953–1957 Gillingham[2] 155 (73)
Teams managed
1962–1966 Chatham Town
1966–1972 Dartford
1972–1973 Maidstone United
1973–1975 Dartford
1978–1980 Tonbridge
1982–1983 Dartford
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Born in Royston, Morgan worked as a miner from the age of 14 and played for his colliery football team, leading them to a Sheffield Senior Cup win shortly after World War II, the first time a works team had won the cup.[3]

Morgan initially turned down the chance to turn professional, despite being offered a contract by Barnsley, but eventually signed for Lincoln City, albeit on a part-time basis. He only managed three Football League appearances for the "Red Imps" and was allowed to move on to Gillingham in 1953 for a fee of £3,000.[3]

Finally turning fully professional with the Kent club, he scored 21 goals in his debut season and then topped this by scoring 31 in 1954–55, a new club record. This record was equalled by Brian Yeo during the 1970s but Morgan remains the joint holder of the record to this day.[4][5]

He was selected to play for the Third Division South team against the North in 1955–56.

Morgan's playing career came to an end due to injury in 1957.[3]

Managerial career

In 1962 Morgan was appointed manager of Chatham Town, having previously served as coach. He went on to manage a number of other Kent non-league clubs, with his greatest success coming at Dartford, whom he led to the Southern League championship and an appearance in the FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium.[3]

Morgan died, aged 86, in Rainham, Kent on 3 October 2013.[6]

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References
  1. "LINCOLN CITY : 1946/47 - 1986/87 & 1988/89 - 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  2. "GILLINGHAM : 1950/51 - 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  3. Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 226. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  4. Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 348. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  5. "History of the Gills". Gillingham. Archived from the original on 21 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  6. Tributes to Gillingham FC legend Ernie Morgan after death aged 86
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