Ernie Walley

Ernest Walley (7 April 1933 – 6 February 2025) was a Welsh football player and coach.

Ernie Walley

Personal information
Full name	Ernest Walley
Date of birth	(1933-04-07)7 April 1933
Place of birth	Caernarfon, Wales
Date of death	6 February 2025(2025-02-06) (aged 91)
Position(s)	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]