Ernie Warren had been working at Usworth Colliery and playing for the works-team, when he joined Third North Lincoln City as an amateur at the start of the 1928-29 season. Before that season was out, he was an amateur at Second Division Southampton. But he soon returned to Wearside football, with Southwick, without having made the first team at either League club. He came back to The Dell in March 1930, now as a pro, and played in the last League game of the season. He the spent the 1930-31 season in the Reserves but was called upon, for the end-of-season charity matches against Portsmouth when the first-teamers made headlines by going on strike. Whereupon, he became a man-for-one-season at several clubs, whether non-league or Third Division.In 1939 he was living in Slough and working in the Horlicks Factory.