Justin Whittle
Encyclopedia
Justin Whittle is a former English
professional footballer who played as a defender
from 1994 until 2011.
As a player he notably captained Humberside
clubs Hull City
and Grimsby Town
. He also appeared for Celtic
where he started his career in 1994 before moving on to Stoke City
. Following his departure from Grimsby in 2008 he moved into the Non-League game playing for Harrogate Town
and North Ferriby United before retiring in 2011, where he briefly managed the club in a caretaker role whilst previously serving as assistant manager.
whom he had started his career with. He took a while to settle in at the Victoria Ground but after Vince Overson
left to join Burnley
and Ian Cranson
retired, Whittle took his place in the Potters first team making his debut in the 1996-97 season. After almost 80 appearances for Stoke he lost his place to Lárus Sigurðsson
and he left to joined Hull City.
in 1998 while City were battling relegation from the Football League
and became an integral part of the "Great Escape" team. He left after captaining the promotion-winning 2003-04
side - he was offered a new contract at Hull, but with no guarantee of first-team football he chose to accept an offer from Grimsby Town instead. Due to his cult status at Hull, his departure led to widespread criticism of manager Peter Taylor
from the fans. Taylor however delivered a second promotion the following season, but many fans still wished that Whittle had still been there to be a part of this success.
season after it became apparent that first team opportunities would be limited at Hull due to an influx of new players and that he would lose the captaincy as a result. After an average first season with Grimsby, Whittle went from strength to strength, and provided a commanding force at the back for his club. His efforts in the 2005-06
season saw the club make an appearance at the Millennium Stadium
in the play-offs
, and go on an impressive run in the Carling Cup
where the club defeated Derby County
and Tottenham Hotspur
before making an exit at the hands of Newcastle United
. After playing in the heart of defence with many different players at the club it was surprisingly his partnership with Nick Fenton
in the 2006-07
season that caught the eyes of the club's supporters. Despite the club struggling in the league, Whittle was voted "Player of The Season" for his efforts and earned himself a 1 year contract extension. It was apparent from the start of the following season that Whittle was to play a smaller or less important role in the club's affairs. The number 6 shirt he had held since he arrived was stripped of him and he was listed as number 15 in the squad. Fitness and injury worries plagued Whittle and when fit, he was often named as a substitute playing second fiddle to the likes of Nick Fenton, Ryan Bennett
and Rob Atkinson
. As well as this Whittle was not used in the club's Wembley
appearance in the Football League Trophy
final in March. In April 2008 it was decided by the club that they would not offer Justin Whittle an extension to his contract and he left on good terms in May after playing some of his best football with the Mariners.
side Harrogate Town
. Whittle went on to play in 23 games for Town before being released in March 2009.
in March 2009, slotting straight into his usual central defensive position. After two years with the Northern Premier League
side Whittle retired from playing in football in 2011.
on September 11, Whittle took caretaker control of the first team alongside club captain Paul Foot. Whittle left the club in October following the appointment of manager Billy Heath and assistant Bobby Carroll.
in the British Army
where he served before embarking in his football career.
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...
professional footballer who played as a defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...
from 1994 until 2011.
As a player he notably captained Humberside
Humberside
Humberside was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East and West ridings of Yorkshire and parts of Lindsey, Lincolnshire...
clubs Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
and Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. He also appeared for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
where he started his career in 1994 before moving on to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. Following his departure from Grimsby in 2008 he moved into the Non-League game playing for Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town F.C.
Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:...
and North Ferriby United before retiring in 2011, where he briefly managed the club in a caretaker role whilst previously serving as assistant manager.
Stoke City
Whittle joined Stoke from Scottish side CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
whom he had started his career with. He took a while to settle in at the Victoria Ground but after Vince Overson
Vince Overson
Vincent David "Vince" Overson is an English former footballer who played as a central defender...
left to join Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and Ian Cranson
Ian Cranson
Ian Cranson is an English former professional footballer. During his career he made over 200 appearances for Stoke City and over 100 appearances for Ispwich Town.-Playing career:...
retired, Whittle took his place in the Potters first team making his debut in the 1996-97 season. After almost 80 appearances for Stoke he lost his place to Lárus Sigurðsson
Lárus Sigurðsson
Lárus Orri Sigurðsson, known in English as Larus Sigurdsson, is a Icelandic professional footballer who plays as a defender.-Club career:...
and he left to joined Hull City.
Hull City
Justin spent six seasons at Hull City and was a firm fans' favourite there. He was recruited by Warren JoyceWarren Joyce
Warren Garton Joyce is a former footballer who played in The Football League, and now works as a coach.-Early life at Bolton:...
in 1998 while City were battling relegation from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and became an integral part of the "Great Escape" team. He left after captaining the promotion-winning 2003-04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
side - he was offered a new contract at Hull, but with no guarantee of first-team football he chose to accept an offer from Grimsby Town instead. Due to his cult status at Hull, his departure led to widespread criticism of manager Peter Taylor
Peter John Taylor
Peter John Taylor is an English football manager and former player and current head coach of the Bahrain national football team...
from the fans. Taylor however delivered a second promotion the following season, but many fans still wished that Whittle had still been there to be a part of this success.
Grimsby Town
Whittle joined Grimsby in time for the start of the 2004-052004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season after it became apparent that first team opportunities would be limited at Hull due to an influx of new players and that he would lose the captaincy as a result. After an average first season with Grimsby, Whittle went from strength to strength, and provided a commanding force at the back for his club. His efforts in the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season saw the club make an appearance at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in the play-offs
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
, and go on an impressive run in the Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
where the club defeated Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
before making an exit at the hands of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. After playing in the heart of defence with many different players at the club it was surprisingly his partnership with Nick Fenton
Nick Fenton
Nicholas Leonard "Nick" Fenton is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender. He is currently playing for Morecambe, having previously played for Manchester City, Notts County, A.F.C...
in the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season that caught the eyes of the club's supporters. Despite the club struggling in the league, Whittle was voted "Player of The Season" for his efforts and earned himself a 1 year contract extension. It was apparent from the start of the following season that Whittle was to play a smaller or less important role in the club's affairs. The number 6 shirt he had held since he arrived was stripped of him and he was listed as number 15 in the squad. Fitness and injury worries plagued Whittle and when fit, he was often named as a substitute playing second fiddle to the likes of Nick Fenton, Ryan Bennett
Ryan Bennett (footballer)
Ryan Bennett is an English footballer who plays for Peterborough United and currently represents England U21 as a defender. He has previously played for and captained Grimsby Town.-Grimsby Town:...
and Rob Atkinson
Robert Atkinson (footballer)
Robert Guy "Rob" Atkinson is an English footballer who plays for Fleetwood Town as a defender. He has previously played for Barnsley, Scarborough, Halifax Town, Rochdale and Grimsby Town.-Barnsley:...
. As well as this Whittle was not used in the club's Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
appearance in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
final in March. In April 2008 it was decided by the club that they would not offer Justin Whittle an extension to his contract and he left on good terms in May after playing some of his best football with the Mariners.
Harrogate Town
In the summer of 2008 Whittle signed for Conference NorthConference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town F.C.
Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:...
. Whittle went on to play in 23 games for Town before being released in March 2009.
North Ferriby United
Whittle signed for North Ferriby UnitedNorth Ferriby United A.F.C.
North Ferriby United Association Football Club is an English football club based in North Ferriby, near Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. They were formed in 1934. They reached the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the first time in 2005...
in March 2009, slotting straight into his usual central defensive position. After two years with the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
side Whittle retired from playing in football in 2011.
North Ferriby United
Following his retirement Whittle became assistant manager at former club North Ferriby United in August 2011. Following the resignation of John AndersonJohn Anderson (footballer born 1972)
John Anderson is a Scottish former footballer from Inverclyde, who played the majority of his career in Scotland with Greenock Morton and Livingston, before finishing his career in England with Hull City and Bristol Rovers...
on September 11, Whittle took caretaker control of the first team alongside club captain Paul Foot. Whittle left the club in October following the appointment of manager Billy Heath and assistant Bobby Carroll.
Personal life
Whittle is a former member of the Royal Army Pay CorpsRoyal Army Pay Corps
The Royal Army Pay Corps was a former corps of the British Army responsible for administering all financial matters. It was amalgamated into the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992....
in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
where he served before embarking in his football career.
Hull City
- Football League Division Three runner-up: 2003–042003-04 in English footballThe 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
Grimsby Town
- Coca Cola League Two Play-off runner up: 2005-062005-06 in English footballThe 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
- Supporters Player of the Year winner: 2006–072006-07 in English footballThe 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
runner up: 2007-082007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
External links
- Justin Whittle article at Amber Nectar
- Profile of Justin Whittle at codalmighty.com