| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ernest Coleman | ||
| Date of birth | 4 January 1908 | ||
| Place of birth | Blidworth,Nottinghamshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 January 1984(1984-01-20) (aged 76) | ||
| Position | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hucknall | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1927–1929 | Halifax Town | 19 | (5) |
| 1929–1932 | Grimsby Town | 85 | (57) |
| 1932–1934 | Arsenal | 45 | (26) |
| 1934–1937 | Middlesbrough | 85 | (21) |
| 1937–1939 | Norwich City | 63 | (25) |
| Total | 297 | (134) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| Linby Colliery | |||
| 1961–1963 | Notts County | ||
| 1965–1966 | Notts County | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ernest "Ernie"[1] Coleman (4 January 1908 – 20 January 1984) was an Englishfootballer who played as acentre forward.
Born inBlidworth,Nottinghamshire, Coleman started his career as a youth playing forHucknall. After being turned down byNottingham Forest he joinedHalifax Town of theThird Division North in 1927. He scored five times in nineteen appearances, enough to catch the attention ofGrimsby Town of theSecond Division, joining them in March 1928. In just eight appearances in the1928-29 season he scored seven times, helping Grimsby reach theFirst Division. Coleman remained at Grimsby for the next three seasons, and was Grimsby's top scorer in1930-31 and1931-32, and in March 1932 was signed byHerbert Chapman for £7,500 to join the reigning league champions,Arsenal; he made 85 league appearances for Grimsby, scoring 57 goals.
Intended as a replacement forJack Lambert, Coleman made his Arsenal debut in a 2–1 win againstLeicester City atHighbury on 5 March 1932 and played a total of six games that season, as Arsenal finished runners-up toEverton. In his first full season at the club,1932-33, Coleman scored 24 times in just 27 league games, including two hat-tricks as Arsenal reclaimed their title, earning Coleman a championship medal. However, his form dropped in1933-34 and he only scored once in 12 league appearances, though he played as they won the1933 FA Charity Shield.[2] The signing ofTed Drake in March 1934 meant Coleman was forced out of the Arsenal team, and he signed forMiddlesbrough in August 1934. In total he had played 47 games for Arsenal, scoring 26 goals.
Coleman spent three seasons with Middlesbrough, scoring 21 goals in 85 league appearances, before finishing his career withNorwich City. After theSecond World War, he was manager ofLinby Colliery he left Linby to manage Notts County and saved them from relegation from the Football League. He died in 1984, aged 76.