Ernest Francis Cotton (Ernesto)
Witty
Male
Spain
1880-08-31
Barcelona, Spain
1969-00-00
Barcelona, Spain
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Witty
Ernest Witty was an Anglo-Spanish footballer, tennis player and businessman. In 1899 Witty, a Spanish national tennis champion, became a founding member of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona and in the early 1900s he played football for FC Barcelona. He was also a successful trader and his family company, the Witty Group, continues to operate today. He was the younger brother of Arthur Witty.
Witty was the son of Frederick Witty, a British entrepreneur, who settled in Barcelona. Frederick, who belonged to a Yorkshire family, initially intended to emigrate to Argentina but was persuaded to go to Spain by friends. In 1873 he founded his own shipping agency under the name of F. Witty, subsequently establishing business links between Spain and the United Kingdom.
Ernest and his brother Arthur were educated at Merchant Taylors’ School in Merseyside, where sport was regarded as a major part of a young man’s development. On their return to Barcelona the two brothers joined their father’s company which now became known as Witty Sociedad Anonima, Witty S.A.
Ernest and Arthur returned to Spain with a love of sports. Unable to play rugby union due to a lack of suitable pitches, the Wittys began to organise football games between company teams made up of employees. In 1899, Ernest also became a founding member of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. Ernest played tennis with, among others, Joan Gamper, and when Gamper founded FC Barcelona in October 1899, the Witty brothers quickly became involved.
They used their company to imports regulation balls, referees’ whistles, and nets from England. Legend also has it that the Witty brothers also imported the legendary club colours, theblaugrana, from the original colours used by Merchant Taylors’ rugby team. However, FC Basel and other Swiss clubs that Gamper played for and his home canton of Zurich have all been credited and/or claimed to be the inspiration. In 1905 Witty, together with Romà Forns, also helped FC Barcelona win its first Catalan football championship.
1903 - 1925
7
52
37
1930 - Copa del Rey (Amateur)
1928 - Copa del Rey (Amateur)
1926 - Copa del Rey (Amateur)
1916 - Barcelona International (Amateur)
1909 - Barcelona International (Amateur)
1907 - Barcelona International (Amateur)
1903 - Barcelona International (Amateur)
Round 2
J. Andreu 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-4
7-5
6-3
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
Eduardo Flaquer
6-4
2-6
6-3
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
C. Galan
7-5
6-1
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Luis de Olivares
6-1
6-3
Final
Ernest Witty 1 *
José María Alonso de Areyzaga
6-3
6-1
5-7
8-6
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
A. Garcia Navarro
6-1
6-1
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Antonio Ortiz Ferrero
6-1
6-3
Semifinals
Patricio De Satrústegui López 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-4
6-4
Round 2
Max Decugis 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-1
6-1
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
Georges Manset
w.o.
Quarterfinals
Georges Cozon 1 *
Ernest Witty
7-5
6-0
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
Marqués Marcelino José Azlor De Aragón y Hurtado d
6-1
13-11
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Santiago Mendez-Vigo y Mendez-Vigo
6-4
6-2
Semifinals
Luis De Uhagon 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
Enrique Cobian Freira
8-6
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Alfred(o) James Faulconbridge
6-2
4-6
6-1
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Alvaro Aguilar Gomez-Acebo
6-2
7-5
Final
Luis De Uhagon 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-3
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
Ramón Tey
6-0
6-2
Quarterfinals
Heinrich Kleinschroth 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-0
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Enrique Bartroli
6-4
9-7
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Jean Cassel
6-0
6-1
Final
Ernest Witty 1 *
John Wihl
7-9
7-5
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
Alfred(o) James Faulconbridge
6-1
4-6
6-4
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Enrique Bartroli
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
George Saint Noble
6-1
6-2
Final
Julio Capara 1 *
Ernest Witty
4-6
8-6
2-6
7-5
7-5
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Alfred(o) James Faulconbridge
7-5
6-1
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Enrique Bartroli
9-7
6-2
Final
Ernest Witty 1 *
José Cruz Lapazarán Beristaín
8-6
2-6
3-6
6-4
7-5
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
Udo Steinberg
6-3
6-0
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Arturo Leask
6-0
6-1
Semifinals
Julio Capara 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-3
6-4
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Alfred(o) James Faulconbridge
6-1
6-3
Semifinals
José Cruz Lapazarán Beristaín 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-3
5-7
6-3
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
J. Baigneres
7-5
4-6
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Frederick Arthur Bridgman
6-4
6-1
Semifinals
Pierre Camille Gautier 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
W.D. Henderson
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Juan De Urruela
12-10
ret.
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
H.W.K. Irvine
6-0
6-4
Final
Julio Capara 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-2
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
Dick Williams jr
10-8
3-6
6-3
Quarterfinals
Leslie Poidevin sr 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Ernest Witty 1 *
Charles Barde
6-3
6-4
Quarterfinals
Léon Dufour 1 *
Ernest Witty
3-6
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
Herman Plass
1-6
6-4
6-1
Semifinals
G. Luky 1 *
Ernest Witty
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Ernest Witty 1 *
Juan De Urruela
?
Quarterfinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
O. Stettiner
?
Semifinals
Ernest Witty 1 *
F. Bunge
6-4
6-3
Final
Ernest Witty 1 *
Herman Plass
6-1
6-3