Jim Whitley
Encyclopedia
Jim Whitley is a Zambia
n-born Northern Irish
former professional footballer. Although not officially retired, he has not played since 2006 after leaving Wrexham.
His brother Jeff
is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Northwich Victoria
.
, Zambia
to a Zambian mother and Irish father, Whitley originally wished to become a golfer. At the age of 11 he moved to Wrexham
, Wales
where he attended Ysgol Bryn Alyn
. While at the school he became friends with future Wales
international Robbie Savage
who helped encourage his interest in football. At the age of 15, Whitley signed for Manchester City
and, after completing his GCSE
's in Wales, he attended Loreto college
in Manchester
to take A-level
's in art and sports studies.
, signing his first professional contract at the age of 18 in 1993. He made his debut for the first team on 3 January 1998 in a 2-0 win over Bradford City
in the FA Cup
at the age of 22. His first league appearance came the following week in a 3-0 win against Portsmouth
and he went on to make 21 appearances in all competitions before being voted the clubs young player of the year. He remained a regular in the side until January 1999 when he fell out of favour, appearing just once in the final four months of the season.
At the start of the 1999-2000 season, Whitley joined Blackpool
on loan in order to play first team football, playing 8 times for the side before returning to Manchetser City where his only appearance during the remainder of the season came in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town
on 18 February 2000. The match would later turn out to be his final appearance for Manchester City and, after spending the whole 2000-01 season away from the club with loan spells at Norwich City
, Swindon Town
and Northampton Town
, he joined Wrexham on a free transfer.
He became a first team regular at the Welsh
side, but suffered a serious knee injury in February 2005 which kept him out for nine months. Whitley returned to the side to make 10 appearances during the 2005-06 season, but the knee injury quickly resurfaced and at the end of the season Wrexham decided not to offer Whitley an extension to his contract after undergoing three knee operations and making just 24 appearances in his final two years at the side.
, qualifying through his father. He made his debut on 3 June 1998 in a 4-1 defeat against Spain
and went on to win his second cap three months later in a 3-0 defeat to Turkey
. Whitley made his third and final appearance for Northern Ireland two years later as a substitute in a 4-1 loss to Finland
.
and Sammy Davis, Jr.
in the respective shows.
Whitley also paints portraits and, in 2005, a number of his paintings were exhibited during an art show held at Maine Road
, the former home stadium of Manchester City.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n-born Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
former professional footballer. Although not officially retired, he has not played since 2006 after leaving Wrexham.
His brother Jeff
Jeff Whitley
Jeffrey "Jeff" Whitley is a Zambian-born Northern Irish former professional football. He twice won promotion to the Premiership with Manchester City in 2000 and Sunderland in 2005 and was an Northern Ireland international...
is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
.
Early life
Born in NdolaNdola
Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
to a Zambian mother and Irish father, Whitley originally wished to become a golfer. At the age of 11 he moved to Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where he attended Ysgol Bryn Alyn
Ysgol Bryn Alyn
Ysgol Bryn Alyn is a secondary school in the county borough of Wrexham, Wales. Its catchment area includes its local primary schools within Gwersyllt, but also other villages nearby.Mr Brian Whiteley took up the position of headteacher in July 2011....
. While at the school he became friends with future Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage
Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
who helped encourage his interest in football. At the age of 15, Whitley signed for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and, after completing his GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
's in Wales, he attended Loreto college
Loreto College, Manchester
Loreto College is a Roman Catholic sixth form college in Hulme, Manchester, England. During Ofsted's most recent inspection in 2009, Loreto was adjudged to be "outstanding in every respect" with a perfect Grade 1 rating in all thirty-five of the inspection criteria.-Location:The school is situated...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to take A-level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
's in art and sports studies.
Club career
Whitley began his career at Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, signing his first professional contract at the age of 18 in 1993. He made his debut for the first team on 3 January 1998 in a 2-0 win over Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
at the age of 22. His first league appearance came the following week in a 3-0 win against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and he went on to make 21 appearances in all competitions before being voted the clubs young player of the year. He remained a regular in the side until January 1999 when he fell out of favour, appearing just once in the final four months of the season.
At the start of the 1999-2000 season, Whitley joined Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on loan in order to play first team football, playing 8 times for the side before returning to Manchetser City where his only appearance during the remainder of the season came in a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on 18 February 2000. The match would later turn out to be his final appearance for Manchester City and, after spending the whole 2000-01 season away from the club with loan spells at Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, he joined Wrexham on a free transfer.
He became a first team regular at the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
side, but suffered a serious knee injury in February 2005 which kept him out for nine months. Whitley returned to the side to make 10 appearances during the 2005-06 season, but the knee injury quickly resurfaced and at the end of the season Wrexham decided not to offer Whitley an extension to his contract after undergoing three knee operations and making just 24 appearances in his final two years at the side.
International career
Along with his brother Jeff, Whitley chose to represent Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, qualifying through his father. He made his debut on 3 June 1998 in a 4-1 defeat against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and went on to win his second cap three months later in a 3-0 defeat to Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
. Whitley made his third and final appearance for Northern Ireland two years later as a substitute in a 4-1 loss to Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
.
After football
Following his retirement, Whitley instead began performing as a singer and dancer in stage shows, appearing in productions called Christmas Crooners and The Rat Pack's Back, taking the roles of Nat King ColeNat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
and Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
in the respective shows.
Whitley also paints portraits and, in 2005, a number of his paintings were exhibited during an art show held at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
, the former home stadium of Manchester City.
External links
- Jim Whitley at ex-canaries.co.uk