Bob Whittingham

Robert "Bob" Whittingham (1888 – 1928) was an English footballer who played as a striker for various clubs, mainly prior to the First World War.

A powerfully-built and prolific goalscoring inside-forward, Whittingham started out with amateur side Goldenhill Wanderers, before signing for Blackpool. He stayed with the Lancashire side for just a year but still 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 midway through the campaign). In January 1909, he joined Bradford City, where he equalled a then club record 21 league goals during the 1909–10 season. His performances earned him a move to relegation-threatened First Division side Chelsea for a fee of £1,300.

Whittingham arrived too late to save the club from relegation, but he scored prolifically during the next two seasons, hitting 30 goals in his his first full season with Chelsea, though they narrowly missed out on promotion, finishing 3rd. 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 left Chelsea in 1913 and had a stint with South Shields before the First World War broke out, during which he guested for Stoke City, hitting 86 goals in four years. He returned to Chelsea after the War, playing six more games, finishing his time with that club with a record of 80 goals from just 129 games. He then moved to Stoke again, where he scored 8 goals in 18 league games in another brief spell.

Whittingham later had spells with Wrexham, Port Vale and Macclesfield Town.

Despite his prolific goalscoring record, Whittingham was never capped for England.

References

*Calley, Roy (1992). "Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992" ISBN 1-873626-07-X