Ernie Walley
Welsh football coach (1931–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ernest Walley (7 April 1933 – 6 February 2025) was a Welsh football player and coach.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ernest Walley | ||
| Date of birth | 7 April 1933 | ||
| Place of birth | Caernarfon, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 6 February 2025 (aged 91) | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1951–1955 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1955–1958 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | (0) |
| 1958–1959 | Middlesbrough | 8 | (0) |
| 1959–? | Crystal Palace | 0 | (0) |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | |||
| Stevenage Borough | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1980 | Crystal Palace (caretaker) | ||
| 1983–1985 | Barking | ||
| 1992 | Bangor City | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
Walley joined Tottenham Hotspur as a junior in May 1951, making five league appearances as a wing half before moving to Middlesbrough in 1958.[1] After eight appearances for Middlesbrough he moved again to Crystal Palace,[2] but failed to make a first team appearance before moving to Gravesend & Northfleet and subsequently Stevenage Borough.
Coaching and managerial career
After retiring as a player Walley spent eight years as a coach at Arsenal before joining Crystal Palace in the same capacity in 1967.[2] He became caretaker manager of Crystal Palace for six matches following the departure of Terry Venables in 1980.[3] After the appointments of Malcolm Allison and subsequently Dario Gradi, Walley continued as a coach at Crystal Palace.[2] He was later assistant manager to John Hollins at Chelsea during the mid-1980s, and reserve manager under Steve Harrison at Watford. His brother Tom played for Watford and Wales, and was a coach at Watford at the same time as Ernie.[4] Ernie Walley subsequently managed Barking between December 1983 until January 1985,[5] and later Bangor City for a short spell in 1992.
Death
On 6 February 2025, it was announced that Walley had died at the age of 91.[6]
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