Peter Whittingham
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Peter Michael Whittingham (; 8 September 1984 – 18 March 2020) was an English professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
. His primary position was as a
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, although he operated as a winger on both the left and right, as well as a second-striker. He was part of the
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
team that won the 2001–02 FA Youth Cup, and a year later he made his
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
debut. Whittingham had loans at
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
clubs
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
and
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...
in 2005. In January 2007, he signed for Cardiff City for a fee of £350,000. In eleven seasons at Cardiff, Whittingham played 457 competitive matches and scored 96 goals, putting him seventh on the all-time appearances list and ninth among their goalscorers. During his time at that club they won the Championship in
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, and reached the
2008 FA Cup Final The 2008 FA Cup Final was an association football match between Cardiff City and Portsmouth held at Wembley Stadium, London, on 17 May 2008. The final was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the 2007–08 Footba ...
and 2012 League Cup Final. He was named three times in the Championship's
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
, and his 20-goal haul in the 2009–10 season made him the division's top scorer. He signed for
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
in June 2017, and made 24 appearances for the club before his contract was terminated by mutual consent in August 2018. He died in March 2020, as a result of an accidental fall at a pub.


Early life

Whittingham was born in
Nuneaton Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth in northern Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire and West Midlands County.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton's ...
,
Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
, and attended
King Henry VIII School, Coventry King Henry VIII School is a coeducational independent day school located in Coventry, England, comprising a senior school (ages 11–18) and associated preparatory school (ages 3–11). The senior school has approximately 800 pupils (120 in eac ...
. His father Harry was a well-known fishmonger in the area and was known as "Harry the Fish". His mother worked as a teacher. He has an older brother named James who works as an investment banker for
Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, H ...
.


Club career


Coventry City

Whittingham began playing football as a youth player with his local side
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
, joining the club at the age of seven. His brother had been playing in the club's youth sides and Whittingham had been noticed playing on the side of pitch by one of the club's scouts. Whittingham played with Coventry until the age of 16 but was released in 2001 after the club opted against offering him a contract with officials believing he was too small to play professionally. Coventry scout
Ray Gooding Ray Gooding (born 16 February 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 59 appearances in the Football League for Coventry City, Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle. Playing career Gooding began his career with Cov ...
, who had argued against his release, instead rang officials at
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
to recommend Whittingham. After a successful trial, he signed for the Midlands club.


Aston Villa

Whittingham signed with Aston Villa in April 2001 and was part of the club's
FA Youth Cup The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
- winning team of 2002. He was handed his first team debut on 21 April 2003 by manager
Graham Taylor Graham Taylor (15 September 1944 – 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. He was the manager of the England national football team from 1990 to 1993, and also managed Lincoln C ...
against
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
, as a half-time substitution for
Gareth Barry Gareth Barry (born 23 February 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, the highest number of ap ...
in a 1–1 away draw. He made two further substitute appearances before making his first start in the final day of the season in a 3–1 defeat against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
. Taylor was replaced by
David O'Leary David Anthony O'Leary (born 2 May 1958) is a football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United, subsequently managing Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai. The majority of his 20-yea ...
ahead of the 2003–04 season, with the Irishman being quick to praise Whittingham's potential. After featuring regularly during the early stages of the campaign, he scored his first senior goal against
Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their ho ...
in the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
third round on 23 September 2003, during a 5–0 win at Adams Park. After the match, O'Leary commented "I’ve had a good feeling about Peter". In November that year, having been nearly ever-present during the opening stages of the campaign, he signed a contract that would have lasted until 2007. He finished the season having made 39 appearances in all competitions as a left-sided midfielder, including playing six times in the club's League Cup run where they reached the semi-final before losing to
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
, a match in which Whittingham was later branded a "scapegoat" for his side's defeat. Nevertheless, he was named Villa's young player of the season for the campaign. The following season, Whittingham began the campaign as a regular substitute and scored his only league goal for Villa on 6 November 2004, opening a 3–0 win over
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
at
Villa Park Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway station ...
. However, he gradually fell out of favour as the side struggled and, on 14 February 2005, Whittingham signed for
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
club
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
on a one-month loan having not featured for Villa for nearly two months. Having featured predominantly as a left-sided player during the early stages of his career, Burnley manager
Steve Cotterill Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of side Shrewsbury Town. Cotterill had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albion, Wimbledon, ...
hoped Whittingham would make an impact as a
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
at the club, and hoped that he would do as well as
Gary Cahill Gary James Cahill (born 19 December 1985) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Cahill began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth system in Derbyshire. In 2000, he joined the Aston Villa Academy an ...
, another young player they had taken on loan from Villa. Whittingham made his debut for Burnley in a 1–1 draw with
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
the following day. Whittingham started all nine matches of his loan spell, seven in the league and two in the FA Cup, before returning to Villa in late-March, despite Cotterill's hopes of extending the deal. Whittingham started three of Villa's opening four matches of the 2005–06 season, but returned to the Championship on 15 September, joining
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...
on a three-month loan. He made his debut for Derby three days later in a 2–2 draw with
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, making a total of 11 appearances without scoring before returning to Villa in November 2005.


Cardiff City

On 11 January 2007, after making just five appearances for Villa since the end of his loan spell with Derby more than a year previously, Whittingham was transferred to Cardiff City for a reported fee of £350,000. He quickly established himself in the team and was a first-team member until the end of the year, despite competition from
Joe Ledley Joseph Christopher Ledley (born 23 January 1987) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He started his career with then Championship side Cardiff City where he spent six years. He helped the club to the F ...
on the left-hand side. Whittingham began the 2007–08 season on the bench. By mid-November Cardiff found themselves just above the relegation zone; this prompted a minor reshuffle from boss Dave Jones that involved
Chris Gunter Christopher Ross Gunter (born 21 July 1989) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a defender for AFC Wimbledon and the Wales national team. An attacking full back, he is capable of playing on both flanks but usually plays on his preferred righ ...
and Whittingham returning to the starting line-up. Whittingham's recall saw him moved to an unfamiliar role on the right side of midfield, but he soon settled into the role and started the majority of the remaining matches of the season, as well as being the team's top scorer (with three goals) during their
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
run. That run saw him score in matches against
Chasetown Chasetown is a village in the town of Burntwood in Staffordshire, England. It is split between the civil parishes of Burntwood and Hammerwich. History Chasetown developed in the mid 19th century as a coal mining village. At first the village wa ...
,
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
and
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
, before Cardiff eventually lost 1–0 to Portsmouth in
the final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. The start of the 2008–09 season saw Whittingham continue playing on the right side of midfield, scoring his first goal of the season on 26 August in a 2–1 victory over
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
in the League Cup. He ruptured ankle ligaments during a 2–1 win over
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
on 15 November, which was expected to keep him out for up to three months. However, he returned to the team ahead of schedule, coming on as a late substitute during a 1–1 draw with
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
on 26 December. In the first match of the 2009–10 season, Whittingham converted a penalty during a 4–0 win over Scunthorpe United in the first ever competitive match at the
Cardiff City Stadium The Cardiff City Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd) is a stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City Football Club and the Wales national football team. Following expansion of the Ninian Stand in July 2014 ...
and scored in consecutive rounds of the League Cup in wins over Dagenham & Redbridge and
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
. Having been appointed the first-choice penalty taker for the club, he took his league goal tally to three with goals in consecutive matches in a 3–1 defeat to against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
followed by a 6–1 win over Derby County. He continued his scoring form with a brace against
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
and goals against Crystal Palace and
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
followed by a hat-trick against
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
. Whittingham earned the October Player of the Month award on 14 November 2009. On 24 April, he scored a free-kick during a 3–2 win over Sheffield Wednesday, and the following day was named in the 2009–10
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
for the Championship. Following the loan arrival of
Craig Bellamy Craig Douglas Bellamy (born 13 July 1979) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward and is current assistant manager at EFL Championship side Burnley. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy began his senior playing career with Norw ...
, Whittingham started the 2010–11 season in a new central midfield role. His performances were praised by manager Dave Jones. After scoring eight penalties in the previous campaign, Whittingham saw his first two penalties saved in this campaign, causing Jones to announce that Whittingham had been taken off penalty duty. However, he did take and score Cardiff's next penalty against Coventry City in a 2–1 win which added to his first two goals of the season scored from a brace of free kicks scored against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
three days previously. Whittingham scored a fantastic volley against
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
on 13 March, which ended up being voted
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
Goal of the Year award for 2011. At the end of the season, Cardiff failed to gain promotion for a second year running and Whittingham was heavily linked with a move away from Cardiff City Stadium, being linked with newly promoted
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
and Portsmouth. Despite the links with a move away from the Welsh capital, new Cardiff boss,
Malky Mackay Malcolm George Mackay (born 19 February 1972) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, who is currently the manager of Ross County. Mackay, who played as a defender, began his playing career in Scottish football with Quee ...
insisted that Whittingham was central to his plans. Whittingham started the first match against
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, and scored his first goal of the season against
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
after coming on for
Solomon Taiwo Solomon Oladiran Taiwo (born 29 April 1985) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Faversham Town. He previously played for a number of clubs at Conference South level and below before joining League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge in 2007. H ...
. Whittingham made his 300th league appearance in a 1–1 draw with Burnley. On 26 August, Whittingham signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until at least the summer of 2014. Whittingham played a big role in Cardiff's centre midfield, producing many impressive performances and scoring several fine goals, including direct freekicks against Peterborough and Crystal Palace as well as a sublime chip from 35 yards away to Reading. His 50th league goal for Cardiff came on 22 November against Coventry City. His four goals in five matches led to Whittingham being nominated for the November
Championship Player of the Month The EFL Championship Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the player adjudged the best for each month of the season in the EFL Championship, the English football league system, second tier of English football. ...
. On 30 December 2011, Mackay revealed that the club had rejected a bid, thought to be around £3 million, from West Ham United for Whittingham. Following a goal scoring drought, Whittingham scored a penalty against
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
in February and then scored straight from a corner against
Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
. In February, Whittingham was nominated for the Championship Player of the Year award. Whittingham was part of all the matches in the League Cup campaign, which eventually saw Cardiff lose 3–2 on penalties to
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. He made his 250th Cardiff appearance in a 2–2 draw with
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
, in which he scored on 7 March. Whittingham was voted the best player outside the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
in ''
FourFourTwo ''FourFourTwo'' is a football magazine published by Future. Issued monthly, it published its 300th edition in May 2019. It takes its name from the football formation of the same name, 4-4-2. In 2008, it was announced that ''FourFourTwo'' had ...
'' magazine. Whittingham then won his second Cardiff City player of the year award at the end of the season. He was later named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Championship. During the close season, more speculation about Whittingham's future in the Welsh capital arose, this time from Premier League club
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. Whittingham said that he was fully committed to Cardiff, stating: "I'm happy here and until the gaffer alky Mackaywants to sell me I'm here." On 28 August 2012, Whittingham signed a new 3-year deal at Cardiff, ending speculation on his future. Whittingham opened his scoring account for the 2012–13 season, on 2 September with a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. He then scored his fourth during the following match, converting a penalty against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
, his 350th career appearance. After a drop in form, Whittingham was left out of the team towards the close of the season, but managed his eighth and final goal of the campaign with a last-minute penalty at home to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
on 1 April. Whittingham collected a winner's medal as Cardiff lifted the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
trophy following April's home encounter with
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
. Cardiff's debut Premier League
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
started off brightly with wins over champions
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
. Whittingham scored his first Premier League goal in nine years against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...
. Despite the bright start, Cardiff were eventually relegated after just one season. In July 2014, Whittingham signed a new three-year deal keeping him till in the Welsh capital until 2017. Despite a disappointing campaign for the Bluebirds, who finished in 11th, their lowest finish in 8 years, Whittingham was selected in The Football Manager Team of the Decade at the
Football League Awards The EFL Awards is an annual awards ceremony commemorating association football players, clubs and associated individuals involved in the three divisions of the English Football League (EFL). The event was established in 2006 and is usually hel ...
, on 19 April. Cardiff rejected two bids from unnamed clubs for Whittingham in the summer of 2015 and he was described as the club's kingpin, by manager
Russell Slade Russell Mark Slade (born 10 October 1960) is an English professional football manager, who was most recently managerial consultant of League Two club Stevenage. Having had an extended career at reserve team level, Slade entered professional ...
. Whittingham scored twice in a 4–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion and overtook
John Toshack John Benjamin Toshack (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former professional football player and manager. He began his playing career as a teenager with his hometown club Cardiff City, becoming the youngest player to make an appearance for the ...
and
Hughie Ferguson Hugh Ferguson (2 March 1895 – 8 January 1930) was a Scottish professional footballer. Born in Motherwell, he played for Parkhead at junior level as a semi-professional and was one of the most sought after young players in Scotland before sig ...
in the club's all-time leading scorers list in English league competitions. Cardiff missed out on the play-offs at the end of the season. Whittingham played less frequently for Cardiff after
Neil Warnock Neil Warnock (born 1 December 1948) is an English former football manager and player. He is also a television and radio pundit. In a managerial career spanning five decades, Warnock has managed sixteen different clubs from the Premier League to ...
was appointed manager in October 2016. As it was expected that his contract would expire at the end of the season, he received a standing ovation when substituted in his final home match, against Newcastle in 2017. In July 2022, two years after Whittingham's death, Cardiff retired the number 7 shirt as a tribute.


Blackburn Rovers

On 13 June 2017, Whittingham joined newly relegated
League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
club Blackburn Rovers on a two-year contract effective from the expiration of his Cardiff contract in July. Warnock praised him for his loyalty to the club, and had offered Whittingham a one-year contract extension but made it clear that he would feature less often than he had done before. He made his Rovers debut on 6 August, playing the full 90 minutes as they began the season with a 2–1 loss at
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
. Whittingham had his contract with Blackburn terminated by mutual consent on 31 August 2018.


International career

Whittingham was an England under-21 international, making his debut against the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 2004 and was part of the squad that competed in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship held in the Netherlands. He made one substitute appearance during the tournament, coming on late in a 2–2 draw with
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Whittingham scored three goals for the under-21 team. He scored his first two in a match against
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
before scoring his last goal in a match against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
in February 2006.


Personal life

At the time of his death, he lived in
Dinas Powys Dinas Powys (; also spelt "Dinas Powis" in English) is a small town and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Dinas Powys hillfort, Iron Age hillfort wh ...
,
Vale of Glamorgan The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...
with his wife Amanda and their son; their second son was born two months after his death.


Death

On 18 March 2020,
South Wales Police South Wales Police ( cy, Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four territorial police forces in Wales. It is headquartered in Bridgend. The force was formed as South Wales Constabulary on 1 June 1969, by the amalgamation of the former Glamorgan Const ...
confirmed that Whittingham was in hospital after suffering head injuries as a result of an accidental fall at a pub in
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
on 7 March. He died from his injuries on 18 March at the
University Hospital of Wales University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...
in
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, aged 35. In March 2021,
Pontypridd () (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...
Coroner's Court recorded a verdict of accidental death, concluding that Whittingham was intoxicated and engaged in "horseplay" with friends before falling through a fire door and down a flight of stairs.


Legacy

In the immediate aftermath of Whittingham's death tributes were paid across the football world, including Whittingham's former clubs
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
, Cardiff City and
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
along with players such as
Elliott Bennett Elliott Bennett (born 18 December 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Shrewsbury Town. He is the elder brother of footballer Kyle Bennett. Club career Wolverhampton Wanderers Bennett grew up in Telford, Shropshire, ...
and
Mark Bright Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962) is an English sports correspondent and former footballer. Born to a Gambian father and English mother, he was adopted into a foster family in Stoke-on-Trent at an early age. He played non-league football ...
. The
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...
,
The Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
of England and the
Football Association of Wales The Football Association of Wales (FAW; cy, Cymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru) is the Governing bodies of sports in Wales, governing body of association football and futsal in Wales, and controls the Wales national football team, Welsh national foo ...
also issued messages of condolence. In 2021, Whittingham's wife Amanda, brother James, sister Rachel and mother Sally founded a
Registered Charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...
in his honour, named The PW7 Foundation. The Foundation raised money for three causes; The Cardiff City FC Foundation, which aimed to support children in Cardiff through football, a sports bursary at King Henry VIII School in Coventry (Peter's old school) and
Winston's Wish Winston's Wish is a childhood Grief, bereavement charity in the UK. The charity offers a wide range of practical support and guidance to bereaved children, their families and professionals. The charity currently supports 40,000 bereaved children ...
, a charity that supports children who have lost a parent or sibling. A tribute friendly was organised between Cardiff City and Aston Villa, which took place on 30 November 2022, during the break in both teams' respective leagues due to the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
. The ticket sales for that match at the
Cardiff City Stadium The Cardiff City Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd) is a stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City Football Club and the Wales national football team. Following expansion of the Ninian Stand in July 2014 ...
raised money for the PW7 Foundation.


Career statistics


Honours

Aston Villa *
FA Youth Cup The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
: 2001–02 Cardiff City *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the En ...
: 2012–13 *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
runner-up: 2007–08 *
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
runner-up: 2011–12 Blackburn Rovers *
EFL League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up: 2017–18 Individual * Football League Championship Golden Boot: 2009–10 *
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
: 2009–10 Championship, 2011–12 Championship, 2012–13 Championship * Football League Championship Player of the Month:
October 2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
* Cardiff City Player of the Year: 2009–10, 2011–12 *
The Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
Goal of the Year: 2011 * The Football League Team of the Decade


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whittingham, Peter 1984 births 2020 deaths People educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry Sportspeople from Nuneaton English footballers Association football midfielders Aston Villa F.C. players Burnley F.C. players Derby County F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players England youth international footballers England under-21 international footballers Accidental deaths in Wales Accidental deaths from falls FA Cup Final players