Alfred Ernest Watkins

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Ernest Watkins

|image =

| image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = Alfred Ernest Watkins

|birth_date = {{birth date|1878|6|26|df=y}}

|birth_place = Llanwnnog, Wales

|death_date = {{death date and age|1957|12|7|1878|6|26|df=y}}

|death_place = Barking, England

|height =

|position = Inside-forward

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1894–1895| clubs1 = Caersws| caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1895–1897| clubs2 = Oswestry| caps2 = | goals2 =

| years3 = 1897–1899| clubs3 = Leicester Fosse| caps3 = 31| goals3 = 12

| years4 = 1899–1901| clubs4 = Aston Villa| caps4 = 1| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1901| clubs5 = Grimsby Town| caps5 = 11| goals5 = 5

| years6 = 1901–1906| clubs6 = Millwall Athletic| caps6 = | goals6 =

| years7 = 1906–190?| clubs7 = Southend United| caps7 = | goals7 =

|totalcaps =

|totalgoals =

|nationalyears1 = 1898–1904

|nationalteam1 = Wales

|nationalcaps1 = 5

|nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 =

| medaltemplates =

}}

Alfred Ernest Watkins (26 June 1878 – 7 December 1957), also known as Fred Watkins, was a Welsh international footballer who played as an inside-forward or winger.{{cite book|last1=Lamming|first1=Douglas|title=A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890-1985|date=1985|publisher=Hutton|location=Beverley|isbn=0-907033-34-2|page=100}}

Watkins played club football for Leicester Fosse, Aston Villa, Grimsby Town and Millwall Athletic.{{Cite web | title = Watkins, Alfred Ernest (Alf) (Ernie) (Fred) | website = astonvillaplayerdatabase.com | accessdate = 15 December 2017 | url = http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/1400.html }}{{cite web|url=http://wfda.co.uk/international_details.php?id=78|publisher=Welsh Football Data Archive|title=WELSH INTERNATIONAL MATCHES|accessdate=4 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427031326/http://wfda.co.uk/international_details.php?id=78|archive-date=27 April 2016|url-status=dead}} In 1906, he signed to play in Southend United's inaugural season in the Southern League.{{cite web |title=Southend United F.C.: Increase in nominal capital: Prospectus (August 1906) |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00089767/filing-history/NTk1Mjk5ODNhZGlxemtjeA/document?format=pdf&download=0 |website=Companies House |access-date=30 August 2023}}

He was part of the Wales national football team between 1898 and 1904, playing five matches. He played his first match on 19 March 1898 against Scotland and his last match on 21 March 1904 against Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://eu-football.info/_players.php?id=218|title=Wales player database 1872 to 2013|publisher=eu-football.info|accessdate=30 April 2016}}

His younger brother, Walter Watkins, also played professional football.{{cite web| url=http://arakiel.co.uk/tree/ppl/a/d/c246a62101963db9d19dd5aaada.html| title=Walter Martin Watkins| work=Genealogy of The Marches| accessdate=15 December 2017}}