Ernest Braidwood was an English professional footballer who played as a centre half. He started his senior career with Chesterfield Municipal before signing his first professional contract with Football League First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 side Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic A.F.C.

Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

 in August 1920. He made nine league appearances in his first season with the club and scored one goal, against Derby County

Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

. A change in manager for the 1921–22 season meant Braidwood found it difficult to break into the first-team, and he played only once in the campaign.

In the summer of 1922 Braidwood was signed on a free transfer by his former Oldham team-mate David Wilson

David Wilson (footballer born 1884)

David Wilson was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He started his career in the Scottish Football League and went on to play 475 matches in the Football League before retiring at the age of 40. He appeared in one international match for Scotland in 1913...

, who had since become player-manager of Football League Third Division North

Football League Third Division North

The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...

 outfit Nelson

Nelson F.C.

Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...

. He was inserted straight into the team for the first league match of the season, a 2–6 defeat away at Bradford Park Avenue

Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.

Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

. Braidwood scored six goals in 38 games as Nelson won the division in 1923, and achieved promotion to the Football League Second Division

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

. He scored against Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 in the 1–1 draw at Seedhill

Seedhill Football Ground

The Seedhill Football Ground was a football stadium in Nelson, Lancashire. It was the home of current North West Counties League Division One side Nelson F.C. from 1905 until 1968. Nelson later moved to Victoria Park, before the ground was demolished in 1980 to make way for the M65 motorway...

 on 22 December 1923, and played in Nelson's 1–0 win against Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 on 8 March 1924. Braidwood continued to play for Nelson until March 1926 when he signed for Rochdale

Rochdale A.F.C.

Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

, where he scored one goal in 87 league matches before moving into non-League football

Non-league football

Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...

 with Great Harwood

Great Harwood F.C.

Great Harwood F.C. was an English football club based in Great Harwood, Lancashire. Their colours were red and white, and they played at the Showground.-History:The club was founded in the 1880s. In 1908 the joined Division Two of the Lancashire Combination...

 and New Mills

New Mills A.F.C.

New Mills Association Football Club are an English football club based in New Mills, Derbyshire. They currently play in Northern Premier League Division One South.-History:...

 in 1930.

Braidwood's cousin, James Pearson

James Pearson (footballer)

James Stevens Pearson was an English professional footballer who played as a full back. He was born in Heywood, Lancashire, and began his career in non-League football with his hometown club in the early 1920s...

, also played professional football for Nelson.