Ernie Copland
FullnameErnest George Copland
Birth date14 October 1923
Birth placeMontrose, Scotland
Death dateDecember 1971 (aged 48)
Death placeElizabeth, Australia
PositionForward
Years 11948
Clubs 1Montrose Roselea[1]
Years 21948–1950
Clubs 2Arbroath
Caps 215[1]
Goals 25
Years 31950–1951
Clubs 3Dundee
Caps 36[2]
Goals 33
Years 41951–1958
Clubs 4Raith Rovers
Caps 4178[3]
Goals 4105
Youthclubs 1Hillside United
Youthyears 11944–1948

Ernie Copland (14 October 1924 – December 1971) was a Scottish footballer who played for Arbroath, Dundee and Raith Rovers. He was selected for Scotland's 1954 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not travel to the finals and never actually played for the national side.

Although selected for the 22-man squad for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the Scottish Football Association only budgeted to take 13 players (including only one goalkeeper) to the finals in Switzerland.[4] Copland was one of the players who stayed at home on reserve, with the likes of Bobby Combe and Jimmy Binning.[4]

Copland was chosen as reserve in the Scottish team for the World Cup qualifiers in 1957, and travelled to Basel (Switzerland), Stuttgart (Germany), and Madrid (Spain), but did not play.

Copland died Elizabeth, South Australia in December 1971, at the age of 47.[5]

References

  1. ^ ARBROATH : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
  2. ^ DUNDEE : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
  3. ^ RAITH ROVERS : 1946/47 - 2007/08, Newcastle Fans.
  4. ^ UNLUCKY 13 FOR SCOTS[dead link], Evening Telegraph, 29 December 2004.
  5. ^ "Former Scots Footballer Dies". Aberdeen Evening Express. 17 December 1971. p. 6. – via British Newspaper Archive