Bob Whittingham

Robert Whittingham (1888 – 9 June 1926) was an English footballer who played as an inside-forward for various clubs, mainly before the First World War. He played in the Football League for Stoke, Blackpool, Bradford City, and Chelsea. He helped Chelsea to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1911–12. He was the younger brother of fellow footballer Sam Whittingham.

Career Whittingham started with amateur side Goldenhill Wanderers as an inside-forward before signing for Stoke (without making a first-team appearance) and later Crewe Alexandra.

He later moved on to Blackpool, where he stayed for just a year. He 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 Bloomfield Road midway through the campaign). In January 1909, he joined First Division side Bradford City and scored 11 goals in nine games to save the "Bantams" from relegation at the expense of Manchester City. He then equalled a then-club-record 21 league goals during the 1909–10 season. His performances at Valley Parade earned him a move to David Calderhead's relegation-threatened Chelsea in April 1910 – for a fee of £1,300. He made an appearance for the Football League XI in February 1919 against the Scottish League at St Andrew's, Birmingham, in the first representative match played after the First World War, and scored the second goal in a 3–1 win; according to the Daily Express reporter, "the pick" of the English XI were Whittingham, Billy Morgan, and Joe Clennell. He returned to Chelsea after the war, playing six more games in the 1919–20 season, finishing his time with the club with a record of 80 goals from 129 league and FA Cup games. He then moved to Stoke again for a £500 fee, where he scored eight goals in 18 Second Division games in another brief spell at the Victoria Ground. He later played for Wrexham before returning to Goldenhill Wanderers. Despite his prolific goalscoring record, Whittingham was never capped for England, though he did feature in a Victory international against Wales at the Victoria Ground on 18 October 1919.

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1907–08 Second Division

1908–09 Second Division

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1908–09 First Division

1909–10 First Division

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1909–10 First Division

1910–11 Second Division

1911–12 Second Division

1912–13 First Division

1913–14 First Division

1919–20 First Division

119!!71!!10!!10!!129!!81 Stoke 1919–20 Second Division

Macclesfield 1921–22 Cheshire League

Wrexham 1922–23 Third Division North

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Honours Chelsea Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1911–12