Ernest Muttitt

Ernest Muttitt (24 July 1908 – 8 August 1996) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Brentford and Middlesbrough. He was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 2015. A utility player, Muttitt was nicknamed "Bulldog".[3]

Ernest Muttitt
Personal information
Full name Ernest Muttitt[1]
Date of birth (1908-07-24)24 July 1908
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Date of death 8 August 1996(1996-08-08) (aged 88)[2]
Place of death Brentford, England[2]
Position(s) Utility player
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
0000–1929 South Bank
1929–1932 Middlesbrough 20 (3)
1932–1947 Brentford 92 (25)
1943 → West Ham United (guest) 1 (0)
1944 → West Ham United (guest) 1 (0)
1946 → Colchester United (loan) 1 (0)
Dover
Dartford
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Middlesbrough

An outside left, Muttitt began his career in his native north east with Northern League club South Bank, before transferring to newly promoted First Division club Middlesbrough in April 1929.[4] Muttitt had to wait until 27 November 1929 to make his debut and scored the winner in a 2–1 victory over Arsenal.[5] He managed 14 appearances and three goals during the 1929–30 season as Middlesbrough consolidated their position with a mid-table finish.[5][6] Muttitt found first team chances harder to come by in the following two seasons and departed Ayresome Park at the end of the 1931–32 season.[5] Muttitt made 25 appearances and scored four goals during his three years with Middlesbrough.[5]

Brentford

During the 1932 off-season, Muttitt joined Third Division South club Brentford as part of a four-way transfer, with former Middlesbrough teammates Jack Holliday, Billy Scott and Herbert Watson all arriving at Griffin Park.[4] Muttitt made 14 appearances and scored four goals during his first season with the Bees, in which the club finished as Third Division South champions.[7] Muttitt broke into the team during the 1933–34 season, making 40 appearances and scoring 12 goals as Brentford finished fourth in the club's first season in the second tier.[7] 1934–35 was a mixed season for Muttitt, making only 14 appearances, but scoring seven goals and winning a Second Division championship medal.[7] He spent much of the season in the reserve team and contributed to its London Challenge Cup triumph.[8]

With Brentford now in the First Division for the first time in the club's history, Muttitt spent long periods out of the team.[7] He made just 13 appearances between August 1935 and May 1937 and then spent nearly two years in the reserve team.[4][7] He returned to first team action in February 1939 and made 13 appearances in what remained of the 1938–39 season.[7] The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and the suspension of competitive football brought Muttitt's professional career to a halt, but he remained with Brentford throughout the war, making 100 further appearances and guesting for eight different teams.[2][3][7][9] He was used as a utility player during this period and was deployed in forward and defensive roles.[4]

Muttitt joined Southern League club Colchester United on loan towards the end of the 1945–46 season, where he linked up with former Brentford teammate Roddy Munro.[4] He made one appearance, in a 5–2 victory over Guildford City.[10] Muttitt remained with the Brentford until 1947 and left Griffin Park after having made 94 competitive appearances and scored 25 goals for the club.[4]

Later years

Muttitt signed for Kent League First Division club Dover in 1947, who were managed at the time by his former Brentford teammate George Poyser.[4] He ended his career with a spell at Southern League club Dartford.[4]

Personal life

Muttitt was married with two children.[2] In 1942, Muttitt moved into a house on Braemar Road (opposite Brentford's Griffin Park ground) and in later years was a regular spectator at matches.[4] He was a member of the Special Police Force during the Second World War.[3] In March 2018, Muttitt's son Robert and his family were chosen by Brentford to break ground at the Brentford Community Stadium.[11]

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Middlesbrough 1929–30[5] First Division 10 2 4 1 14 3
1930–31[5] 5 1 1 0 6 1
1931–32[5] 5 0 0 0 5 0
Total 20 3 5 1 25 4
Brentford 1932–33[7] Third Division South 14 4 0 0 14 4
1933–34[7] Second Division 39 12 1 0 40 12
1934–35[7] 14 7 0 0 14 7
1935–36[7] First Division 5 1 1 0 6 1
1936–37[7] 7 1 0 0 7 1
1938–39[7] 13 0 0 0 13 0
Total 92 25 2 0 94 25
Career total 112287111929

Honours

Brentford

Individual

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 215. ISBN 978-1905891610.
  2. Kaufman, Neilson. "VE Day WW2 players as at May 2020" (PDF). pp. 83–84. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  3. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 170. ISBN 0951526200.
  4. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 113. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  5. "Ernest Muttitt". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  6. Middlesbrough F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  7. White 1989, p. 372-375.
  8. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 82. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
  9. Chapman, Mark. "Boro Connections: Five players that shaped Brentford football Club's history". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  10. "Ernie Muttitt – Players – Colchester United". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  11. "Family selected to break ground at Brentford Community Stadium". Brentford FC. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  12. Wickham, Chris. "Kevin O'Connor and Marcus Gayle join others in being added to Brentford FC Hall of Fame". brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
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