Buying Warriors football tickets, $5. Hot dog at the game, $2. Seeing Ernest Thompson in his 60th year as the Warriors super fan, priceless.

For nearly 60 years, since Murdock Stadium first opened on Thanksgiving 1949, Ernest Thompson, 92, has been coming to the home games to watch the Warriors play football.

“I saw the first game ever played at Murdock Stadium. It was against East L.A. and we won the game,” Thompson said.

Thompson, originally from Georgia, moved to California in 1936 where he served in the Navy and was stationed at the Long Beach Naval Base.

In his hometown in Georgia was where Thompson last played football in high school.

“That was 75 years ago!” he said, with a laugh.

Thompson married in 1940 to a woman who was originally from the Los Angeles area and after he was released from the Navy, they decided to stay in Torrance.

He has two daughters, Kathleen and Dorothy, both now grown, but who used to accompany him to the home games. Now, he comes with some friends, who have come with him ever since.

“He is very sharp and knowledgeable,” Tony Barbone, EC athletic director, said.

Barbone has only known Thompson this year, but has already seen the impact his dedication has had on EC.

“It’s great to see that from someone who has had more birthdays than the rest of us,” Barbone said.

Barbone recalled a moment during one of the home games when he asked a security guard to help Thompson to his seat. Barbone said that Thompson told him, “Bones (Barbonne’s nickname), I don’t need any help.”

Some of Thompson’s favorite games are when the Warriors go against rival schools.

“Games against Pasadena, Long Beach, Bakersfield, we even used to play Phoenix before, they are exciting to watch,” he said.

Thompson also added that players have gotten
larger and faster compared to some of the teams from the past.

“Back then, we had no more than two or three players over 200 pounds” he said. He added that back when he played, the linemen were no bigger than 190 pounds, something almost impossible today in the modern game.

Back when the Rams of the NFL were in Los Angeles, Thompson said he would go watch them play.

“I had season tickets for the Rams games. I would also watch some Raiders games, too,” he said.

But Thompson said that junior college football has always been his favorite.

Thompson said that when he was more active he would also go watch the Warriors baseball team.

Now at 92, he just tries to come to as many of the football games as he can.

Even as the team’s biggest fan, he is not afraid to be its biggest critic.

When asked what he thought about the current team, he said, “They’re good, but what happened to them after the break?”

Thompson was referring to the team’s recent loss to Mt. San Antonio College.

He has however, been there to celebrate some of the Warriors biggest victories.

“I saw them become state champs in 1971 and national champs in 1987,” Thompson said.

Thompson was also present when the Warriors were state champions in 2006.

“Featherstone is a great coach,” he said. “I watched him play when he was a youngster.”

Featherstone is in his 25th year as coach of the Warriors and it didn’t surprise Thompson one bit when he saw Featherstone make the transition from football player to coach.

“They have always had a great coaching staff here,” Thompson said.

“It’s great to see a man at his age full of vitality,” Featherstone said of Thompson.
Featherstone, who played football for the Warriors in ’67 and ’68, didn’t know Thompson back then but has really gotten to
know him over the last five years.

Featherstone said it was a nice tribute to see the Warriors’ “greatest fan” honored at the homecoming game.

“For someone who has been that loyal for over 50 years, he is a true Warrior,” Featherstone said.

When asked what he thought people could learn from Thompson’s dedication, Featherstone said, “To never give up on your home team, be there if we win or lose.”

He smiled, and then added, “Although we have won a lot more games than we have lost here (at Murdock Stadium).”

Thompson is not only proud of the team, but also of the college as well and likes what the college has done over the years.

“It is a great college with great academics,” he said.

He had never missed a home game and has only recently missed a few because of his health. Thompson however, doesn’t plan on quitting being the “super fan” anytime soon.

“For as long as I can, I’m going to come to the games,” Thompson said.