Alan Whittle
Encyclopedia
Alan Whittle is a retired English
football player. He played for Everton F.C.
, Crystal Palace F.C.
, Leyton Orient F.C.
, Persepolis F.C. and A.F.C. Bournemouth
. He is usually played in the midfielder
position.
youth academy and debuted for the first-team in 1967 at the age of 17. In 5 years at Everton
Whittle only made 74 appearances scoring an impressive 21 goals however found it difficult to establish himself in such a star-studded team. In December 1972 Whittle was sold to Crystal Palace F.C.
for a then large fee of £100,000. Whittle spent 4 years of his career at Crystal Palace F.C.
, however his stay was dogged by injury and bad form, leading him to fall out of favour with then coach Malcolm Allison
, Whittle did make a century of appearances for The Eagles and was a fan favourite. Whittle spent one season at Leyton Orient
scoring 6 goals in 50 appearances for the club and coming 2nd in the Anglo-Scottish Cup
. Whittle then surprised many by spending one season at Iran
ian giants Persepolis F.C. in the 1977-78 season where he competed in the Takht Jamshid Cup
, however because of the Iranian Revolution
and collapse of the national league Whittle had no choice but to leave Iran
. Ultimately, Whittle ended his career at A.F.C. Bournemouth
at the age of 30 making just 9 appearances for the club. Towards the end of Whittle's career he made a move to Australia
where he played for a year before going to non-league side Gravesend & Northfleet in 1982 ending a career for Whittle who as a youngster had much promise but injury and poor form were to block the extent of his success.
Alf Ramsey
, manager of the English national football team.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football player. He played for Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, Persepolis F.C. and A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. He is usually played in the midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
position.
Club career
Whittle was a product of the Everton F.C.Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
youth academy and debuted for the first-team in 1967 at the age of 17. In 5 years at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
Whittle only made 74 appearances scoring an impressive 21 goals however found it difficult to establish himself in such a star-studded team. In December 1972 Whittle was sold to Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
for a then large fee of £100,000. Whittle spent 4 years of his career at Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, however his stay was dogged by injury and bad form, leading him to fall out of favour with then coach Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
, Whittle did make a century of appearances for The Eagles and was a fan favourite. Whittle spent one season at Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
scoring 6 goals in 50 appearances for the club and coming 2nd in the Anglo-Scottish Cup
Anglo-Scottish Cup
The Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
. Whittle then surprised many by spending one season at Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian giants Persepolis F.C. in the 1977-78 season where he competed in the Takht Jamshid Cup
Takht Jamshid Cup
The Takht Jamshid Cup was a national football league based in Iran which lasted from 1973 to 1978.-History:In early 70s Iran, football had become a very popular sport and several local leagues existed in various cities. Eventually the football federation of the time decided that a national league...
, however because of the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
and collapse of the national league Whittle had no choice but to leave Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Ultimately, Whittle ended his career at A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
at the age of 30 making just 9 appearances for the club. Towards the end of Whittle's career he made a move to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where he played for a year before going to non-league side Gravesend & Northfleet in 1982 ending a career for Whittle who as a youngster had much promise but injury and poor form were to block the extent of his success.
International career
In 1972, at the age of 22, he was called up by SirSir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Alf Ramsey
Alf Ramsey
Sir Alfred Ernest "Alf" Ramsey was an English footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. His greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup with England on 30 July 1966...
, manager of the English national football team.
Honours
- English championship: 1
- 1969/70, Everton
- Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 1- 1970, Everton
- Anglo-Scottish CupAnglo-Scottish CupThe Anglo-Scottish Cup was a tournament arranged for teams in the English and Scottish football leagues during the summer for several years during the 1970s...
, Runners-Up- 1976/77, Leyton Orient
- Takht Jamshid CupTakht Jamshid CupThe Takht Jamshid Cup was a national football league based in Iran which lasted from 1973 to 1978.-History:In early 70s Iran, football had become a very popular sport and several local leagues existed in various cities. Eventually the football federation of the time decided that a national league...
, Runners-Up- 1977/78, Persepolis
Trivia
- Whittle was the first EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer ever to play in the Iranian football league systemIranian football league systemThe Iranian football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for football clubs in Iran.-Structure:The current structure has been in place since 2001. The Iran Premier League is the highest level of club football in Iran. It is also called the Persian Gulf Cup. Below it is the Azadegan...
. - Palace fans would chant "We want Whittle" and "The RokerRoker ParkRoker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
roar is no more, Whittle showed them how to score". - Whittle campaigned in Everton's football in the community scheme.
- Now retired, Whittle lives on the The Wirral.
- Whittle's nickname was The Hustler at EvertonEverton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.