120 Ernie Moss

Position : Forward

Played : 1987-88 (on loan from Scarborough)

Appearances : 10

Goals : 2

Following the return of John Moore to Sunderland , Eddie Gray’s final centre-forward of the season was the 38 – year old veteran on loan from Scarborough. Ernie was one of those consistent lower division scorers you don’t seem to get any more. Either they get snapped up (eg Jonathan Stead) or get found out after a couple of seasons (eg John Newby). He started out with Chesterfield in the late 60s after playing for a works side and played 271 games scoring 95 goals before moving to Peterborough in 1976 (35 apps, 9 goals). He won a Third Division Championship medal with Mansfield in 1976-77, their subsequent unhappy season in the Second being his only experience of the higher divisions. Following Mansfield’s relegation he returned to Chesterfield for another three years before short spells with Port Vale, Lincoln and Doncaster before again signing for Chesterfield at the age of 35 becoming their record goalscorer .Colin Murphy signed him for Stockport in 1986 and he helped them avoid relegation with 7 goals.He then moved to Scarborough in their first League season but had dropped out of the first team picture by the time we signed him.



Ernie made his debut in a 0-0 draw at Bolton in March 1988. He looked a bit creaky by this time but mustered a couple of goals to take his final League tally to 245 (in 747 appearances). They were both headers , away at Swansea (deliriously celebrated by the handful of us there) and at home to Leyton Orient in Eddie Gray’s final fixture at Spotland.



After that he dropped out of league football but helped Kettering to a good FA Cup run the following season. He finally retired in 1992 having also played for Matlock and Shepshed Charterhouse. He went straight into management, assisting at Boston for two years before taking over at Gainsborough Trinity. He has also managed Leek, Matlock, Hucknall and Belper. He runs a sports shop Moss and Miller, the latter being a cricketer and still turns out in charity matches.