Ernest George Clarkson was born in Knaresborough on October 2nd 1939 and lived all his life in the town.
As a youngster, Ernie was one of a band of children, along with many adults, who got jobs such as picking stones from the newly laid pitch area at Manse Lane after the club moved there in the early 1950’s. The land was a previous quarry which took on the role of a refuse tip for many years. After complete filling of the area, the council decided to sell the facility and the club, which had been on the lookout for a new pitch for many years took the option to buy some three to four acres of the land and turn it into a football ground which duly opened for play at the start of the 1953-54 season.
Soil was sourced to fill the area and then turf was brought in from Tommy Pedel a farmer at Goldsborough. By all accounts, the grass had many stones within it and before it could be used for sport, the stones needed to be removed, a laborious process which made use of many people including Ernie and his mates.
Obviously, the involvement of children in that process would build either resentment or pride and with Ernie it proved the latter, as he took to football at school and began playing for the club at the start of the 1957-58 season, when he first appeared on the team lists for the first game of that season against Collingham for the reserves. He appears regularly on the reserves team lists throughout the next two seasons, but as goals were few and far between, as Ernie was a defender or midfielder, the confirmation of appearances is not certain.
His first team debut is likely to have been at full back away at Harrogate Boys Club Old Boys at New Park, Harrogate in the first round of the Whitworth Cup on February 21st 1959, a game which was won 4-2.
The 1959-60 season saw a regular place at left back, but Ernie’s career in football then became secondary to his career as a fireman.
The fire brigade was Ernie’s career until retirement in his 50’s, but it also meant working shifts and that sometimes came into conflict with football as working in the brigade also entailed being on call at weekends. Hence, the number of games in which he took part was limited though throughout the 1960’s he was very much a part of the club.
In the early 1970’s, he turned out for a team called Coneythorpe Tigers which played at Arkendale in the Claro Sunday League and then became a part in the early days of Goldsborough Football Club from 1977 to 1984, when he retired from football after captaining the team to a 4-2 victory over Sherwood in the Arkendale Trophy final under floodlights at Harrogate Town, a trophy presented to the league by Jack Hall, who helped form the Coneythorpe team.
The Goldsborough team was a spin off from the cricket club which took up much of Ernie’s spare time, particularly over the summer months. He was Secretary of the cricket club for many years, running the bar and spending much if his “spare” time at the club. He was also heavily involved with the Harrogate & District Evening Cricket League in a number of roles, but each integral to the smooth operation of the league.
Aside from playing, Ernie became an integral part of the football club at Manse Lane through his never-ceasing fund-raising efforts. For many years, Ernie was the “codes man”, the codes being a three letter sequence which represented a different set of three football teams each week and gave all participants the chance to win decent prize money whilst contributing much to the funds of the football club. Ernie had many of his own customers most of whom had little or no connection with the club aside from paying each week for a code. The number of miles which Ernie travelled on foot, or more likely on his trusty pushbike, is incalculable!
When it was decided to cease these codes, which over the years involved not only the football club, but also Knaresborough Cricket Club. Knaresborough Forest Cricket Club and others, the Football Club set up a 100 Club, again for a regular contribution and a chance to win a prize in the monthly draws. The miles continued to be racked up as Ernie kept many people going, but collected the money every month.
Originally, Ernie was made President of the club in 2010, but decided to stand back to vice-president allow Geoff Waite to take up the role after the latter stood down as treasurer in 2013.
Ernest was still a regular visitor to Manse Lane up until last season and was regularly seen at the back of the stand with daughter Sonia and son-in-law Nick, who continued the match to match routines of supplying the food and drink to keep Ernie well-nourished and well-informed of all the team changes for the programme which he avidly sought each week.
His health had deteriorated since having major surgery in 2019 when he was forced to quit lawn tennis, which he took up after football and cricket, In the past couple of years he was diagnosed with Parkinsons with dementia and has spent the last 18 months in Vida Hall at Station View in Starbeck (but never been tempted to abandon KTFC for Railway!). He loved his Saturday trips to Manse Lane right up to the end of last season and was there whatever the weather for firsts or reserves. Despite a chest infection meaning he coulnd't make our first home games this year he continued to enjoy his sport, particularly the England V India test on Sky Sports which he enjoyed up to Saturday evening, having a good chat and banter with one of the Indian members of the care team there. Ernie passed peacefully in his sleep early on Sunday August 3rd aged 85 and will leave a deep void in and around Knaresborough.