Ernie Hunt facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roger Patrick Hunt | ||
| Date of birth | 17 March 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Swindon, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 June 2018 (aged 75) | ||
| Place of death | Gloucestershire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1959 | Swindon Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1965 | Swindon Town | 214 | (82) |
| 1965–1967 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 74 | (32) |
| 1967 | → Los Angeles Wolves | 10 | (4) |
| 1967–1968 | Everton | 14 | (3) |
| 1968–1973 | Coventry City | 146 | (45) |
| 1973 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 1973–1974 | Bristol City | 12 | (2) |
| 1974–? | Atherstone Town | ||
| Ledbury Town | |||
| Total | 479+ | (169+) | |
| International career | |||
| 1963–1966 | England U23 | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ernie Hunt (born Roger Patrick Hunt on March 17, 1943 – died June 20, 2018) was a talented English footballer. He played for many famous clubs like Swindon Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, and Coventry City. He even played for the Los Angeles Wolves in the USA. Ernie also represented England three times at the under-23 level. People called him "Ernie" to avoid mixing him up with another famous player, Roger Hunt. In 1971, he won the very first BBC Goal of the Season award for an amazing goal.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out at Swindon Town
Ernie Hunt was born in Swindon. He started playing for his hometown club, Swindon Town, as an amateur in 1957. He was still working for British Rail at the time. Ernie quickly moved up through the youth teams.
He made his first team debut on September 15, 1959. This was in a game against Grimsby Town. At 16 years and 182 days old, he became Swindon's youngest ever first-team player. He signed his first professional contract in March 1960.
Top Scorer and Promotion
Ernie was Swindon Town's top goalscorer for four seasons in a row. He helped the team get promoted to the Second Division in 1963. He also played three games for the England under-23 team.
In September 1965, Ernie left Swindon Town. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers for £40,000. This was a record amount for Swindon at the time. Overall, he scored 88 goals in 237 games for Swindon.
Time with Wolves and Everton
Ernie was the top scorer for Wolves with 20 goals. He helped them get promoted to the First Division in the 1966–67 season. He was also part of the Wolves team that played as the Los Angeles Wolves and won the 1967 United Soccer Association title in the USA.
After playing only a few games in the top league for Wolves, he moved to Everton in September 1967 for £80,000. However, he didn't stay long at Everton. He played only 12 games before moving to Coventry City in March 1968 for £65,000.
Famous Goal at Coventry City
Ernie Hunt became a big favourite with fans during his five years at Coventry City. He scored one of the most famous goals in English football history in October 1970. This goal was against his old team, Everton.
Coventry City was given a free kick just outside the penalty area. His teammate, Willie Carr, held the ball between his heels and flicked it up. Ernie then volleyed the ball into the net. This amazing goal was shown on the BBC's Match of the Day. It won the programme's Goal of the Season award and became very famous. However, this special move was not allowed in football after that season.
Later Career
After Coventry, Ernie had a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers. He then joined Bristol City, where he finished his main league career in the 1973–74 season. He later played for several non-League clubs.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Ernie Hunt had different jobs. He ran a pub called The Full Pitcher in Ledbury, Herefordshire. He also worked as a window cleaner. In 2008, he was living in Gloucester.
Ernie Hunt passed away on June 20, 2018, at the age of 75. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Honours
- Los Angeles Wolves
- United Soccer Association: 1967
- Coventry City
