Alan Whitehead (footballer born 1956)
Encyclopedia
Alan Whitehead is an English former professional footballer who made more than 350 appearances in the Football League
playing as a central defender
for Bury
, Brentford
, Scunthorpe United, York City, Wigan Athletic, and Halifax Town
.
. He began his football career with non-League club Darwen
before being given his Football League debut for his hometown club Bury F.C.
by Bob Stokoe while still an amateur, playing at centre forward against Preston on Boxing day 1977 in front of 26,000. He played five games altogether whilst still at college including a League Cup tie against Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. He went on to play more than 100 times for the club in all competitions including scoring the winning goal in the fourth round of the F.A.Cup against Burnley. This goal gave the Shakers a plum 5th round tie at Anfield. In 1981 he moved on to Brentford
for a club record fee of £78,000 and was their Player of the Season in 1982. In early 1984 he joined Scunthorpe United again for a club record fee of £27,000. Scunthorpe became the third consecutive club for which he made more than 100 appearances, and he was chosen as their Player of the Season for 1985–86. He left them for York City in late 1986, spending 18 months with the club, including a spell on loan at Wigan Athletic, were he played in a Division 3 first leg play-off at Ayresome Park. He then joined Halifax Town
, but his career with that club was disrupted by injury, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and he returned to York City as a member of the coaching staff.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing as a central defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Scunthorpe United, York City, Wigan Athletic, and Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
.
Career
Whitehead was born in BuryBury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. He began his football career with non-League club Darwen
Darwen F.C.
A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...
before being given his Football League debut for his hometown club Bury F.C.
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
by Bob Stokoe while still an amateur, playing at centre forward against Preston on Boxing day 1977 in front of 26,000. He played five games altogether whilst still at college including a League Cup tie against Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. He went on to play more than 100 times for the club in all competitions including scoring the winning goal in the fourth round of the F.A.Cup against Burnley. This goal gave the Shakers a plum 5th round tie at Anfield. In 1981 he moved on to Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
for a club record fee of £78,000 and was their Player of the Season in 1982. In early 1984 he joined Scunthorpe United again for a club record fee of £27,000. Scunthorpe became the third consecutive club for which he made more than 100 appearances, and he was chosen as their Player of the Season for 1985–86. He left them for York City in late 1986, spending 18 months with the club, including a spell on loan at Wigan Athletic, were he played in a Division 3 first leg play-off at Ayresome Park. He then joined Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
, but his career with that club was disrupted by injury, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and he returned to York City as a member of the coaching staff.