He played at club level for Stanley Rangers ARLFC, Wakefield Trinity (A-Team) and Bramley, as a centre, or loose forward.

Outside boxing he worked initially as a Motor mechanic, then as a Fitter for the National Coal Board at Lofthouse Colliery (Wakefield), Bouncer, Paviour (Paver), and general construction worker.

Ernie Field trained at the Robin Hood & Thorpe Amateur Boxing Club (ABC), he was the National Coal Board British Middleweight Champion, he fought internationally for the Amateur Boxing Association of England;[5] including against Hungary with a points victory over Hungarian amateur middleweight (75 kg (165.3 lb; 11 st 11.3 lb)) champion Tibor Borda[6] (born circa-1939), of Bonyhádi Spartacus, at King's Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester on Monday 11 November 1963,[7] and fought overseas; including a tournament in Castrop-Rauxel, West Germany.

Ernie Field's professional fighting weight varied from 173 lb (78.5 kg; 12 st 5 lb), i.e. Light heavyweight to 189 lb (85.7 kg; 13 st 7 lb), i.e. Cruiserweight, managed by Tommy Miller,[8] Ernie Field's first professional boxing bout took place against Louis Samuels on Monday 7 March 1966, he built-up an initial record of six wins (4 knockouts), five defeats by points, and one draw by March 1967, including; a points victory over Tony Moore on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali versus Henry Cooper bout for the Heavyweight Championship of the World in front of a crowd of 46,000 at Arsenal Stadium, Highbury on Saturday 21 May 1966, and a second-round technical knockout of future British and British Commonwealth light-heavyweight Champion Eddie Avoth at Wyvern Sporting Club (Midland Hotel), Manchester on Monday 30 January 1967,[9] despite initially being a Middleweight,[5] he began to be matched against Heavyweights, e.g. Rocky Campbell and Peter Boddington, and this resulted in a downturn in his career, losing his last seven bouts, with five by points decisions, of which four were by narrow margins, including a bout outside of the United Kingdom, against South African light-heavyweight Champion Jan Happy Pieterse at Johannesburg City Hall Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday 18 March 1968, his final professional bout took place against Gene Innocent on Monday 13 May 1968.

[10] Ernie Field was scheduled to compete with Ray Ako[11] for the vacant Central (England) Area light heavyweight title at Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool on Tuesday 17 September 1968, however Ernie Field was forced to withdraw before the bout, and was replaced by Shaun Dolan,[12] Ray Ako beat Shaun Dolan with a third-round knockout.