Ernie Gregory, born in 1921 and passing away in January 2012, is typical of so many players in my “Nostalgia Series”. He joined the ground staff aged 14 in 1936, played more than 400 times for the Hammers over 21 years, coached after his career at Upton Park for a further 28 years bringing his service to the club to 51 years, and he was born locally in Stratford. There is an undeniable theme here isn’t there? He made his debut for the midweek team in 1938 but his Football League debut was delayed until 1946 because of WW2. Ernie served his country with the Essex Regiment and the Royal Air Force during the war.
Ernie was a goalkeeper and a tough one at that. He played in an era when keepers were not a protected species and a shoulder charge from a giant centre forward was not just the norm – it was expected! Often playing on mud baths, being a keeper back in those days was not for the faint hearted. When Ernie joined the Hammers as a boy, the then chairman, the late Mr WJ Cearns said to him “if you do it for 90 minutes on a Saturday you can stay here for life”. Profound words indeed! Ernie’s dad had died when he was ten, so it was his mum that Charlie Paynter went around to see before signing the young lad. The kids in the Stratford neighbourhood all milled around the house – someone in a car had turned up to see the “Gregory’s. Only famous people had cars in East London back then. Charlie told Ernie’s mum that the lad must wear a collar and a tie and that he would earn one quid a week – and he must give his Ma 15 shillings of that and he could keep the rest for himself. Ernie obeyed. When Ernie got a ten pound signing on fee in 1939 he was again told to “treat his mother first”.
Ernie played his first game for the reserves against the first team in a pre-season friendly at just 14 years of age. Ernie remembered “the great Jimmy Ruffell burst through our defence and came towards me – he must have taken pity on me because he turned around and went back and took his shot from further out – I tipped the ball over, but I will never forget his gesture”. Later in life he was to go on and say “It’s a wonderful atmosphere at Upton Park. West Ham was the only club I wanted to play for – others wanted me but I would never have left”. Arsenal had come waving their cheque book but were told they didn’t have enough money to buy Ernie. He was one of the best keepers in the country but England had a rich vein of them at the time – Frank Swift, followed by the likes of Ted Ditchburn, Bert Williams and Sam Bartram all had their advocates which resulted in Ernie gaining just a solitary B cap for England against France in 1952. West Ham were playing in the second division for most of his career and that probably influenced national selection as well. Ernie did get one season in the top flight in 1958/59 and he made 32 appearances. The following season he played his last game for the club at home to Leeds.
The following years saw Ernie in a number of varying roles for the club including first team coach and reserve team manager. He was influential in the development of Martin Peters and he was also used by the Hammers to watch and report on their future opponents. But it was as goalkeeper coach that he will be especially remembered. Ernie once said; “I don’t believe in centre halves clearing from under the keepers nose – the keeper has to be the Guv’nor – he must command his area”. Ernie Gregory retired from West Ham in 1987 and died on the 21st January 2012 aged 90. Shortly afterwards he was laid to rest at Manor Park with dozens of former West Ham players in attendance. Brian Dear paid a personal tribute before closing with Vera Lynn’s version of “Bubbles”.
Billy Jennings told of Ernie; “He was a really lovely guy who made all newcomers to the club very welcome. He would always preach about how good the club was and he was always around giving encouragement”. Another West Ham legend – Phil Parkes went on to say of Ernie, “He was a legend pure and simple. I don’t think we will ever see his like again. He was a one club man, a player, a coach, a manager and he has to be the greatest servant that West Ham ever had”.