 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Tom Whittaker" footballer – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas James Whittaker[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1898-07-21)21 July 1898 | ||
| Place of birth | Aldershot, Hampshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 24 October 1956(1956-10-24) (aged 58) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Wing half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1919–1925 | Arsenal | 64 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1947–1956 | Arsenal | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas James WhittakerMBE (21 July 1898 – 24 October 1956) was an Englishfootball player, trainer and manager, chiefly associated withArsenal Football Club.[3]
Whittaker was born at East Cavalry Barracks,Aldershot, Hampshire, but grew up inNewcastle upon Tyne from the age of three weeks. He spent his early football career in theNorth East of England as a youth player, whilst training as a marine engineer, later working in that role for Hawthorn Leslie & Co ofTyneside. He was called up to theBritish Army, signing up for theRoyal Garrison Artillery, in 1917, moving toLydd in Kent, before later switching to theRoyal Navy.[4] He wasdemobilised in 1919.[5]
In the meantime, he had continued playing football for his regiment, and after serving his country in World War I, Whittaker forwent his engineering career and joinedLeslie Knighton'sArsenal in November 1919. He first played as centre-forward then as wing-half. He signed as a professional in January 1920 and made his debut in a 1–0 defeat away toWest Bromwich Albion on 6 April 1920 and became a regular in the side in the 1920s, playing 70 times for the club and scoring two goals.[3]
He toured Australia as part ofthe Football Association side in 1925, but during the tour, in a match inWollongong he broke hisknee cap and was forced to retire from playing. Resolving to carry on in football, he joined Arsenal's coaching staff and entered study as aphysiotherapist. He became Arsenal's first team trainer underHerbert Chapman in 1927 (whilst still younger than many of the players on the pitch). Whittaker had an important role under Chapman in reforming the training and physiotherapy regime at the club, and played an essential part in the club's successes of the 1930s.[5]
After Chapman's death in 1934, Whittaker continued to serve under his successor,George Allison, and also became a trainer for theEngland national team.
The Second World War saw Whittaker work as anARP warden, before becoming a pilot in theRoyal Air Force, achieving the rank ofsquadron leader. For his service on missions onD-Day, he was awarded anMBE.[3]
With the end of the war, Whittaker resumed his role as trainer at Arsenal. After Allison's retirement in 1947, Whittaker became the club's new manager; under him the club won theLeague in1947–48 and1952–53 and theFA Cup in1949–50.[3] Whittaker sought to attractBlackpool'sStanley Matthews, who was approached afterthe Tangerines' visit to Highbury in 1954. Since Matthews was already receiving football's maximum wage atBloomfield Road, he felt there was nothing to be gained by moving south.[6] Matthews, however, stated that he was "very happy" and politely turned down the offer. "Such an approach was against the rules at the time and, consequently, I couldn't tell anyone about it, and I never have until now."[6]
Whittaker, while still at the helm of Arsenal, died of a heart attack at theUniversity College Hospital, London in 1956, at the age of 58.
Whittaker wrote an autobiography entitledThe Arsenal Story which was posthumously released in 1957.[5]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
