Bob Whittingham

Robert Whittingham (1888 – 9 June 1926) was an English footballer who played as an inside-forward for various clubs, mainly prior to the First World War.[1] He played in the Football League for Stoke, Blackpool, Bradford City, and Chelsea. He helped Chelsea to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1911–12. He was the younger brother of fellow footballer Sam Whittingham.

Bob Whittingham
Personal information
Full name Robert Whittingham[1]
Date of birth 1888[1]
Place of birth Goldenhill, Staffordshire[1]
Date of death (1926-06-09)9 June 1926 (aged 37)[1]
Place of death Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position(s) Inside-forward
Youth career
Goldenhill Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1904 Stoke 0 (0)
Crewe Alexandra
1907–1909 Blackpool 53 (28)
1909–1910 Bradford City 45 (31)
1910–1913 Chelsea 113 (70)
South Shields
1919 Chelsea 6 (1)
1919–1920 Stoke 18 (8)
1921–1922 Macclesfield 10 (2)
Scunthorpe & Lindsey United
1923 Wrexham 0 (0)
Goldenhill Wanderers
Total 245+ (140+)
National team
The Football League XI
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

A powerfully-built and prolific goalscoring inside-forward, Whittingham started out with amateur side Goldenhill Wanderers, before signing for Stoke (without making a first team appearance) and later Crewe Alexandra.

He later moved on to Blackpool, where he stayed for just a year. He scored 28 goals in 53 league games, becoming the club's top goalscorer over two terms (he achieved the feat in the latter season despite his leaving Bloomfield Road midway through the campaign).[2] In January 1909, he joined First Division side Bradford City and scored 11 goals in nine games to save the "Bantams" from relegation at the expense of Manchester City.[3] He then equalled a then-club-record 21 league goals during the 1909–10 season. His performances at Valley Parade earned him a move to David Calderhead's relegation threatened Chelsea in April 1910 – for a fee of £1,300.[3]

Whittingham arrived too late to save the club from relegation into the Second Division, but he scored prolifically during the next two seasons, hitting 30 goals in his first full season with Chelsea, though they narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing third. His 26 goals in 1911–12, almost half of the club's season total, played a big part in their winning promotion back to the First Division. He scored 12 goals in 1912–13 to become the club's top-scorer for a third consecutive season. He left Stamford Bridge in 1913 and had a stint with South Shields before the First World War broke out.

During the war he guested for Stoke, where he became a prolific scorer hitting 26 in 1915–16, 22 in 1916–17, 15 in 1917–18 and 23 in 1918–19.[1] He also guested for Fulham and Port Vale.[4] He made an appearance for the Football League XI in February 1919 against the Scottish League at St Andrew's, Birmingham, in the first representative match played after the First World War, and scored the second goal in a 3–1 win; according to the Daily Express reporter, "the pick" of the English XI were Whittingham, Billy Morgan, and Joe Clennell.[5][6] He returned to Chelsea after the war, playing six more games in the 1919–20 season, finishing his time with the club with a record of 80 goals from 129 league and FA Cup games. He then moved to Stoke again for a £500 fee, where he scored eight goals in 18 Second Division games in another brief spell at the Victoria Ground.[1] His goal tally included one against rivals Port Vale in a 3–0 win at The Old Recreation Ground. However, he struggled with an ankle injury and ill health forced his retirement in April 1920.[3] He was given a benefit match by Stoke in October 1920.[3]

Whittingham joined Cheshire County League side Macclesfield at the start of the 1921–22 season but struggled with his fitness and moved on to Scunthorpe United in February 1922.[7] He later played for Wrexham before returning to Goldenhill Wanderers. Despite his prolific goalscoring record, Whittingham was never capped for England, though he did feature in a Victory international against Wales at the Victoria Ground on 18 October 1919.[3]

Style of play

Whittingham weighed in at 12 stone despite standing at just 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall, making him a menace to opposing goalkeepers.[3] He specialised in sending in powerful long range efforts from outside the penalty area.[3]

Career statistics

Source:[8][9]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackpool 1907–08 Second Division 3215003215
1908–09 Second Division 2213002213
Total 5328005328
Bradford City 1908–09 First Division 1710201910
1909–10 First Division 2821203021
Total 4531404931
Chelsea 1909–10 First Division 310031
1910–11 Second Division 3830544334
1911–12 Second Division 3226203426
1912–13 First Division 207352312
1913–14 First Division 20600206
1919–20 First Division 610061
Total 1197110912980
Stoke 1919–20 Second Division 18800188
Macclesfield 1921–22 Cheshire League 10210112
Career total 246140159261149

Honours
Chelsea
gollark: Because I wrote those.
gollark: Are you assuming I won't exclude ones I DID write?
gollark: They're very convenient devices.
gollark: I wrote all of them and had other people submit them via orbital mind control lasers.
gollark: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18 and #19 are mine.

References
Specific
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Calley, Roy (1992) Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992 ISBN 1-873626-07-X
  3. Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. pp. 47–48. ISBN 1-874287554.
  4. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 308. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  5. "Association football. International league match". The Times. 24 February 1919. p. 5.
  6. "England wins the first international". Daily Express. 24 February 1919. p. 14.
  7. "Profile". silkmenarchives.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  8. Bob Whittingham at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  9. "Cheshire League - 1921-22". Silkmen Archive.
General
  • Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
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