Ernie Blenkinsop

Cudworth Village

At the age of fifteen, Blenkinsop began playing local football for Cudworth Village in the Senior Division of the Barnsley Association League alongside his brother. By his late teens, he was regarded as the side's star player, earning 30 shillings a week, and helped them reach the final of the Barnsley and District Challenge Cup during the 1920–21 season. After appearing in the semi-final, he was forced to sit out a replay after opponents Wombwell Main registered a complaint that he had played despite being suspended. The claim was upheld resulting in Cudworth being fined and the match was replayed, Cudworth winning 2–1 to advance to the final. They met Monkwell in the final, played at Oakwell, suffering a 2–0 defeat but a reporter from the Barnsley Independent commented that Blenkinsop had "shone in the middle line."

Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday

In 1921, several players from Cudworth were attracting attention from professional clubs, including Blenkinsop who was scouted by Doncaster Rovers. However, he went on to sign for Hull City, the transfer fee was reported to be £100 and a barrel of beer for his teammates. Blenkinsop himself received a signing on fee of £10 and saw his weekly wages rise to £5 a week but also insisted on seeing out his notice at Brierly Colliery, only to be turned away by the pit manager who feared a work injury could disrupt his transfer. He was brought to the club by manager Percy Lewis, who had spotted…

Blenkinsop caught the eye of the Football Association selectors in 1928 who choose him to play for England in a friendly match against France on 17 May 1928, at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes, Paris. He helped the side record a 5–1 victory. In his 21st appearance for the national side, he was handed the captaincy of England for another friendly on 9 December 1931 at Arsenal's Highbury ground. The visitors were Spain, with England winning 7–1. He went on to captain England five times in total, including his final cap against Scotland, winning four and losing the other. All of his caps came in consecutive England fixtures; playing a total of 26 matches between 17 May 1928 and 1 April 1933. This record was subsequently beaten by Roger Byrne who appeared in 33 consecutive England games from his debut to his death in the Munich air disaster.

Blenkinsop was born in Cudworth, near Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England on 20 April 1902 to James Hollings Blenkinsop and Annie Elizabeth Blenkinsop (née Green). One of seven children, he attended St. John's School, Cudworth. At the age of thirteen, he followed his father and older brother Herbert into work in the coal mine, working at nearby Brierley Colliery. A cave-in at the site nearly resulted in his death, diving to the ground as part of the mine collapsed and burying him in debris. Blenkinsop later stated his belief that had he remained standing the debris would have killed him.

Blenkinsop married Winifred Stewart at Wadsley Parish Church in Sheffield on 1 June 1926; they had two children: Beryl and Barry. After retiring from professional football, he worked as an iron foundry labourer and after the war, became licensee of the Sportsman public house at Crosspool, Sheffield and remained so until his death on 24 April 1969, four days after his 67th birthday.