Chris Whyte

Chris Whyte

Personal information
Full name	Christopher Anderson Whyte
Date of birth	2 September 1961 (1961-09-02) (age 50)
Place of birth	London, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1978–1986	Arsenal	90	(8)
1984–1985	→ Crystal Palace (loan)	13	(0)
1986–1987	New York Express (indoor)	26	(11)
1987–1988	Los Angeles Lazers (indoor)	77	(27)
1988–1990	West Bromwich Albion	84	(7)
1990–1993	Leeds United	113	(5)
1993–1996	Birmingham City	68	(1)
1995	→ Coventry City (loan)	1	(0)
1996	Charlton Athletic	11	(1)
1996	Detroit Neon (indoor)
1997	Detroit Safari (indoor)
1997	Leyton Orient	1	(0)
1997	Oxford United	10	(0)
1997–1999	Rushden & Diamonds	1	(0)
1999	Raleigh Capital Express
1999–????	Harlow Town
2000	HyPS	10	(?)
National team
1982	England U-21	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Christopher Anderson "Chris" Whyte (born 2 September 1961) is an English former footballer. He made nearly 350 appearances in the Football League for a variety of clubs, and was capped by England at under-21 level.

Whyte is particularly well regarded in the city of Leeds, where he was a pivotal part of the league title winning Leeds United side of 1992.

Playing career

Born in Islington, London, Whyte started his career as a youth player at Arsenal, turning professional in September 1978. A defender who played at centre half (but also less often at full back), he made his Arsenal first-team debut against Manchester City on 17 October 1981. He went on to start all but one of Arsenal's league matches that season, forming a strong central defensive partnership with David O'Leary. Whyte stood out with his coolness and confidence, as well as his timing and good judgement of the game. Whyte continued to play the following season, and won four caps for the England under-21 side.

However, after Arsenal's shock League Cup lost to Walsall in November 1983 (and the subsequent dismissal of Terry Neill), Whyte was dropped from the side in favour of new signing Tommy Caton; the emergence of Tony Adams forced Whyte further down the pecking order at Highbury. He didn't play a single game during 1984-85 (instead being loaned out to Crystal Palace) and although he had a brief run as an emergency striker in 1985-86, he was given a free transfer at the end of that season. In all he played 113 matches for Arsenal, scoring eight goals.

No domestic club offered Whyte a contract, and disenchanted, he left for the United States and played for two years in the Major Indoor Soccer League for New York Express and Los Angeles Lazers. In the summer of 1988, Whyte was offered a return to England by Second Division West Bromwich Albion. Whyte made his Albion debut in a League Cup tie against Peterborough United in September 1988, and ended the 1988–89 season as the club's Player of the Year.^[1]

Whyte returned to the top flight in 1990, when he was signed for £400,000 by Howard Wilkinson's Leeds United. He was a near-ever present for the next three seasons, putting in 146 appearances as Leeds won the 1991-92 First Division title. In 1993 he moved to Birmingham City, winning the 1994-95 Second Division title with the Blues. After a brief spell at Coventry City (on loan), Whyte left Birmingham in 1996, and subsequently played for Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient, Oxford United and Rushden & Diamonds.

He then returned to the United States for a spell with the Raleigh Express in the A-League before returning to England to play under former Arsenal teammate Ian Allinson, manager of Harlow Town of Rymans League Division One.^[2] In 2000 he played for Finnish third-division club HyPS.^[3]

References

1. ^ Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. p. 244. ISBN 1-85983-474-4. 
2. ^ "Arsenal old boys, 1986/87 - present". ArseWeb. http://www.arseweb.com/history/oldboys_1.html. Retrieved 2008-03-05. 
3. ^ "Chris Whyte". playerhistory.com. http://www.playerhistory.com/Default.aspx?page=player_details&playerID=30404. Retrieved 2008-03-05. 

External links

• Chris Whyte career stats at Soccerbase
• League career statistics at Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database
• MISL stats

Persondata
Name	Whyte, Chris
Alternative names	Whyte, Christopher Anderson
Short description	Professional footballer
Date of birth	1961-02-09
Place of birth	Islington, London, England
Date of death
Place of death