Ernest Goodwin
A player more local to Valley Parade is impossible to find. Ernest Anthony Goodwin was born on 7 April 1894 at 36 Picton Street, off Green Lane, Manningham. Son of George and Edith Goodwin. His father was employed as a drayman. From 1912 he lived at 34 South Parade - the street right behind City’s Main Stand. Ernest was a City reserve, but never made an appearance for the first team. He was a part-time player, he also worked for wool merchants I & G Lancaster Ltd of Manor Row. The company was the family firm of City chairman - and former Manningham player - . Ernest enlisted with D company of the 1st/6th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). The Battalion was based at Belle Vue Barracks – yards from Valley Parade and Ernest’s home. They embarked for France aboard the SS Victoria and landed at Boulogne on 15th April 1915. Ernest was a corporal, but was later promoted to Sergeant. The battalion served at Neuve Chapelle and Ypres before arriving on the Somme in February 1916. In tandem with the 36th Ulster Brigade, Ernest’s company lead an attack on Thiepval Wood on that terrible first day of the Battle of the Somme - 1st July 1916. Ernest was reported missing, it later transpired that he had been badly wounded. A letter to his parents from a ‘pal’, reproduced in the local press, said ‘Ernest was wounded by shrapnel, two hits in the arm and leg’. It’s likely that he was transferred to Etaples, a major British base near the coast. He died from his wounds on Friday 21 July 1916. Ernest is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.
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