Jack Whitham
Encyclopedia
Jack Whitham was a professional footballer who played for Sheffield Wednesday
, Liverpool
, Cardiff City
and Reading
. He was a Centre Forward
who only started 111 league games in a nine year career between 1967 and 1976, scoring 40 goals. He made one appearance for the England under 23 team against Wales in 1968.
Whitham was born in Burnley
on 8 December 1946; his grandfather Thomas Whitham
of the Coldstream Guards
had won the Victoria Cross
in 1917 for attacking single-handed an enemy machine gun post. He played amateur football for Holy Trinity F.C. before signing for Sheffield Wednesday in October 1964.
in a memorable 5-4 win on 31 August 1968 which was the highlight of his time at Hillsborough
. In the following 1969-70 season he was top scorer again with 11 goals in all competitions as Wednesday were relegated to Division Two
. In April 1970 he was transferred to Liverpool for a sum of £57,000. In his time with Wednesday he scored 31 goals in 62 starts, an excellent record of a goal every other match.
who had left to join Bolton Wanderers
in December 1969. However, his injury problems continued and he failed to get an extended run in the team. The arrival of John Toshack
at Anfield
in November 1970 further hindered his chances of first team football. He did well towards the end of 1971 when he scored two late goals in an away win at Coventry City
and then scoring a hat-trick in a home 3-2 win against Derby County
on 11 December 1971. In four years he would play just 15 games for Liverpool, scoring seven goals.
, scoring three goals in 14 appearances before moving to Reading for the following season making 19 appearances as they were promoted from Division Four
, his three goals that season all came in the same match against Hartlepool United. Whitham returned to non-League football
in 1976 playing for Worksop Town
, Hallam F.C.
and then Oughtibridge
in the local Sheffield league He then went to Hallam as manager before retiring.
in the Wadsley
area of Sheffield for 10 years. He then became the manager of the South Yorkshire Police
Social Club at Wadsley Bridge
.
From 1993 until 2007 Whitham was a part time scout for Sunderland FC and in 2007 he joined Luton Town as Chief Scout. After Luton Town went into administration in early 2008 Whitham went to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a short spell before becoming head of player recruitment at Sheffield United. He left Sheff Unt in June 2010 to become European Scout back at Wolverhamton Wanderers.
He lives in Sheffield with his wife Jose' and they celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary in 2010. Away from football he is a well known singer/songwriter around the acoustic music clubs in the South Yorkshire area.
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. He was a Centre Forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
who only started 111 league games in a nine year career between 1967 and 1976, scoring 40 goals. He made one appearance for the England under 23 team against Wales in 1968.
Whitham was born in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
on 8 December 1946; his grandfather Thomas Whitham
Thomas Whitham
Thomas Whitham VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
had won the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
in 1917 for attacking single-handed an enemy machine gun post. He played amateur football for Holy Trinity F.C. before signing for Sheffield Wednesday in October 1964.
Sheffield Wednesday
Whitham made his debut for Wednesday on 6 May 1967 as a substitute against his home town club Burnley and scored twice in a 7-0 victory. Whitham’s time as a Wednesday player was marred by injury problems; his brave style of play meant that he spent long periods on the treatment table and he never played 20 league games in any season. He scored 10 goals in 10 games at the start of the 1968-69 season but never scored again that season as injury took its toll. He still ended up as top scorer that season; his tally included a hat-trick against Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a memorable 5-4 win on 31 August 1968 which was the highlight of his time at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
. In the following 1969-70 season he was top scorer again with 11 goals in all competitions as Wednesday were relegated to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. In April 1970 he was transferred to Liverpool for a sum of £57,000. In his time with Wednesday he scored 31 goals in 62 starts, an excellent record of a goal every other match.
Liverpool
Whitham was signed by Liverpool as a potential replacement for Roger HuntRoger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
who had left to join Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in December 1969. However, his injury problems continued and he failed to get an extended run in the team. The arrival of John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
in November 1970 further hindered his chances of first team football. He did well towards the end of 1971 when he scored two late goals in an away win at Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and then scoring a hat-trick in a home 3-2 win against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on 11 December 1971. In four years he would play just 15 games for Liverpool, scoring seven goals.
Latter career
Whitham joined Cardiff City for the 1974-75 season, after being invited to a trial by then manager Frank O'FarrellFrank O'Farrell
Francis 'Frank' O'Farrell is an Irish former football player and manager.-Early:Frank O'Farrell started his playing career with Cork United, but followed his former Cork teammate, Tommy Moroney to West Ham United in January 1948. A quietly spoken, but nonetheless determined and talented wing-half,...
, scoring three goals in 14 appearances before moving to Reading for the following season making 19 appearances as they were promoted from Division Four
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
, his three goals that season all came in the same match against Hartlepool United. Whitham returned to non-League football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
in 1976 playing for Worksop Town
Worksop Town F.C.
Worksop Town Football Club are a semi-professional English football club from Worksop, Nottinghamshire who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division...
, Hallam F.C.
Hallam F.C.
Hallam Football Club are a football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently play in the Northern Counties East League Division One...
and then Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge is a residential village on the northern outskirts of Sheffield within the bounds of Bradfield Parish Council. The village stands northwest of the city centre in the valley of the River Don...
in the local Sheffield league He then went to Hallam as manager before retiring.
After football
After retiring from football, Whitham ran the “Wadsley Jack” a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the Wadsley
Wadsley
Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...
area of Sheffield for 10 years. He then became the manager of the South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police
South Yorkshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing South Yorkshire in England.The police force covers an area of approximately 1,554 square kilometres which is made up of the county's three boroughs , along with the City of Sheffield. The resident population is 1.2...
Social Club at Wadsley Bridge
Wadsley Bridge
Wadsley Bridge is a suburb of Sheffield 3 mi northwest of the city centre. The area is a mixture of residential housing and small industrial and commercial premises.-Etymology:...
.
From 1993 until 2007 Whitham was a part time scout for Sunderland FC and in 2007 he joined Luton Town as Chief Scout. After Luton Town went into administration in early 2008 Whitham went to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a short spell before becoming head of player recruitment at Sheffield United. He left Sheff Unt in June 2010 to become European Scout back at Wolverhamton Wanderers.
He lives in Sheffield with his wife Jose' and they celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary in 2010. Away from football he is a well known singer/songwriter around the acoustic music clubs in the South Yorkshire area.