Ernie Toseland

Ernie Toseland

Ernie Toseland was born in Northampton on 17th March 1905. He played local football for Guildhall United and Higham Ferrers Town before joining Coventry City in 1928. An outside right he scored 11 goals in 22 games before joining Manchester City on 1st March 1929.

Manchester City finished in 3rd place in the 1929-30 season. Toseland played in all 42 games and obtained the nickname "Twinkle Toes Toseland".

City's good form was not continued and the club finished 8th in 1930-31 and 14th in 1931-32. Wilf Wild became the manager of Manchester City on 14th March 1932. That season the club could only finish 14th in the league. However, they enjoyed a good FA Cup run. Fred Tilson scored a hat-trick in City's 9-0 victory over Gateshead. Eric Brook scored both goals against Walsall (2-0) and a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers (4-2). Tilson scored against Burnley (1-0) and Derby County but it was Toseland who got the winner making the score 3-2 in the semi-final.

The final at Wembley was against an Everton team that included players such as Dixie Dean, Cliff Britton, Ted Sager and Albert Geldard. With Fred Tilson missing because of injury, City lost the game 3-0.

In the 1933-34 season Manchester City finished 5th in the First Division of the Football League. The top three goal scorers that year were Alec Herd (17), Fred Tilson (12) and Eric Brook (8). Toseland managed to score 6 in 40 games.

The club also enjoyed a good FA Cup run beating Blackburn Rovers (3-1), Hull City (4-1), Sheffield Wednesday (2-0), Stoke City (1-0), Aston Villa (6-1) to reach the final against Portsmouth. On the way to Wembley the goals had been scored by Fred Tilson (7), Alec Herd (4) and Toseland (4). The defence, that included players such as Frank Swift, Sam Cowan, Jackie Bray and Matt Busby, also performed well.

Manchester City played Portsmouth in the final at Wembley. Fred Tilson had such a terrible injury record that when Sam Cowan introduced him to George VI before the game, he said: "This is Tilson, your Majesty. He's playing today with two broken legs." It was a good job that Tilson did play as he scored both of the goals in the 2-1 victory to increase his total to nine in eight cup games that season. Frank Swift, City's young goalkeeper, was so overcome by the achievement that he fainted at the final whistle.

In 1936 Wilf Wild purchased Peter Doherty from Blackpool for a club record fee of £10,000. Manchester City won the First Division title in the 1936-37 season and Doherty ended up as the top scorer with 30 goals. Toseland scored scored 7 in 42 games.

The 1936-37 Championship team. Back row (left to right) Keller McCullough, Billy Dale, Frank Swift, Bobby Marshall, Jackie Bray. Middle: Ernie Toseland, Alec Herd, Fred Tilson, Wilf Wild, Sam Barkas, Peter Doherty, Eric Brook. Front: Jimmy Heale, Joe Rodgers, Gordon Clark and Peter Percival.
The 1936-37 Championship team. Back row (left to right) Keller McCullough, Billy Dale, Frank Swift, Bobby Marshall, Jackie Bray. Middle: Ernie Toseland, Alec Herd, Fred Tilson, Wilf Wild, Sam Barkas, Peter Doherty, Eric Brook. Front: Jimmy Heale, Joe Rodgers, Gordon Clark and Peter Percival.

However, the following season Manchester City finished in 21st position and was relegated to the Second Division. That year Toseland only scored 3 goals in 30 games.

In March 1939 Toseland was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday. While playing for Manchester City he had scored 61 goals in 368 games.

Toseland only played 15 games for his new club before the outbreak of the Second World War. By the time the Football League started again after the war he was 41 years old and therefore he retired from the game.

Ernie Toseland died in Stockport on 19th October 1987.