Bob Whiting
English footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Whiting (6 January 1883 – 28 April 1917), sometimes known as Pom Pom Whiting,[3] was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the Football League for Chelsea.[1][4][5] He made 253 appearances in the Southern League for Brighton & Hove Albion and was a part of the club's 1909–10 Southern League First Division and 1910 FA Charity Shield-winning teams.[6]
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Whiting[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 January 1883[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Canning Town, England | ||
| Date of death | 28 April 1917 (aged 34)[2] | ||
| Place of death | Oppy Wood, Arras, France[3] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1904–1905 | South West Ham | ||
| 1905 | West Ham United | 0 | (0) |
| 1905–1906 | Tunbridge Wells Rangers | ||
| 1906–1908 | Chelsea | 52 | (0) |
| 1908–1915 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 253 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
Whiting was given the nickname "Pom Pom" due to the strength of his kicks.[7]
In December 1914, four months after the outbreak of the First World War, Whiting enlisted in the Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.[4] After arriving in France in November 1915, Whiting became infected with scabies at the front and was sent to a hospital in Brighton for treatment.[4] As a result of the discovery of his wife's pregnancy and the death of his brother on the Somme in August 1916, Whiting went AWOL.[4] After 133 days he was[7] caught in October 1916 and court-martialled in France in February 1917.[4] A shortage of men due to the Battle of the Somme and Hubert Gough's need for men in the Battle of Arras[7] meant that his sentence of 9 months' hard labour lasted just one week before he rejoined the Football Battalion.[4] He was killed in action whilst assaulting a fortified German position at Oppy Wood during the battleon 28 April 1917 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.[4][2]
After Whiting's death it was rumored that he was shot for desertion. His commanding officer wrote a letter published by The Argus which debunked these claims.[7]
Personal life
Whiting married Sarah "Nellie" Whiting,[7] with whom he had three sons. His second-youngest son, William, later followed in his footsteps to play as a goalkeeper for Tunbridge Wells Rangers.[4]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 1905–06[8] | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1906–07[8] | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1907–08[8] | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 52 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 1908–09[6] | Southern League First Division | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 1909–10[6] | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
| 1910–11[6] | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 0 | ||
| 1911–12[6] | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 1912–13[6] | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 1913–14[6] | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1914–15[6] | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Total | 253 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 266 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 305 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
Honours
Brighton & Hove Albion
- Southern League First Division: 1909–10[3]
- FA Charity Shield: 1910[3]
