Ernest “Ernie” Taylor
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Ernest “Ernie” Taylor (2 September 1925 — 9 April 1985) was a footballer who played for four clubs in a nineteen-year professional career. After Blackpool’s defeat by Newcastle United in the 1951 FA Cup Final, it is said that Stanley Matthews told his manager, Joe Smith, that he would like the Magpies’ inside-right in the Blackpool team. On October 10 that year, Taylor signed for Blackpool for £25,000. Born in Sunderland in 1925, Taylor was a naval submariner when he joined Newcastle in 1942. At only 5 ft 4 in, he was one of the shortest players in the game, but his defence-splitting passes caused problems amongst the opposition. It was his cheeky back-heel that set up one of Jackie Milburn’s goals in the ‘51 Final. Taylor signed for Blackpool on October 10, 1951 and made his debut three days later in a 2-1 home loss to Charlton.
When Matthews had recovered from an injury, the pair created a well-respected right-wing partnership. On November 25, 1953, Walter Winterbottom employed the same partnership in England’s match against against Hungary. England lost 6-3 in what was Taylor’s only appearance for his country. Earlier in 1953, he had been a member of Blackpool’s famous FA Cup-winning side that beat Bolton Wanderers. In the same competition in 1958, he helped the devastated Manchester United to an albeit unsuccessful appearance in the FA Cup Final soon after the Munich air disaster. In 1959 signed for Sunderland for £6,000, and later played for Altrincham and Derry before emigrating to New Zealand, where he coached New Brighton.
