Dulwich Hamlet have lost one of their last links with the club's glory days of the 1930s with the news of the death of Ernie Toser, who was in his 90th year, writes Paul Griffin.

Ernie was a member of the great Hamlet side that won two FA Amateur Cup medals, most famously in 1934 when Dulwich reduced to eight fit men, because two players, including Ernie, had their heads swathed in bandages and another was off the field defeated Leyton after a terrific fight at Upton Park.

Commentators of the time agreed Leyton were the better footballers, but that Dulwich deserved their triumph for their greater pluck and fight.

A second winners medal was added in 1937 when Leyton were again the victims.

Between 1932 and 1937 Ernie played more than 200 times for the club before transferring to Millwall, where he won the Division Three (South) Championship in 1938.

In the Second World War, Ernie joined the RAF, but afterwards returned to Millwall before being transferred to Nottingham.

He returned to Dulwich in 1948 and loyally served Hamlet until the mid-1960s, when he retired to take up teaching.

It was on Ernie's original 1937 final shirt that Dulwich Supporters' Club produced a run of replica TOFFS shirts that are now sported by several fans on matchdays.

Ernie was remembered with a minute's silence before the recent victory over Bognor Regis and his funeral was at Hastings' crematorium last Friday.

April 12, 2002 16:00