Born: Hertford, 23 July 1906
Died: Herford, 14 August 1985
Position: Goalkeeper
Signed: 1 July 1925 from Hertford Town
Fulham debut: Blackpool 2-0 Fulham, 5 December 1925
Fulham appearances: 187
Fulham goals: 0
Fulham honours: Division Three South champions (1931/32)
Sold: 1 July 1932 to Queens Park Rangers
Brave goalkeeper Ernie Beecham made 187 appearances for Fulham between 1925 and 1932. He suffered a serious spinal injury after colliding with Exeter forward Bill Death and, although he played for QPR, Brighton and Hove Albion and Swindon Town having left Fulham following their promotion from the Third Division South, he was never the same goalkeeper and his post-football life became a real struggle. Beecham had been brilliant for Fulham in their run to the quarter finals of the FA Cup in 1926, keeping an outstanding clean sheet in a replay win over Everton at Craven Cottage. He could well have become an England goalkeeper – had an untimely injury not forced him to withdraw from an international trial match during his time with the Whites.
