Maurice Whittle - Player Profile

Maurice Whittle was born in Wigan on the 5^th July 1948. After learning his trade in the local leagues he made his breakthrough into the professional ranks when he signed for Blackburn Rovers in July 1966. It took Maurice over two years to force his way into the starting XI and his Football League debut arrived on the 21^st of August 1968 in a 1-0 win at Fratton Park when a crowd of 28,642 saw the young Wiganer come off the bench for the injured Eamonn Rogers in midfield. At the end of the season Maurice was released and made the decision to join Oldham Athletic, a team struggling near the foot of the Fourth division.                                            

Maurice signed for Oldham in May 1969 and was to spend seven highly succesful seasons at Boundary Park as Oldham climbed up the league pyramid.                                                                                          

Maurice clocked up over 360 appearances for Oldham and scored 43 goals (including 20 penalties) and when he was released to try his luck in America in 1977 it seemed unlikely that he would play in the Football League again.                                                                                             

Maurice went to America to take part in the newly formed MLS leagues and played alongside Tommy Gore for Fort Lauderdale Strikers. His spell across the pond saw him playing against the great Pele and he struck up a friendship with Tommy Gore and it was probably this that saw him signing for Wigan Athletic in the Northern Premier League.                           

When Latics joined the Football League Maurice joined Stafford Rangers and then Barrow but Ian McNeill kept in touch and in March 1980 he finally persuaded the ageing Whittle to have one last hoorah in the Football League.                                                                              

When he was finally released by Latics in 1980 he rejoined Barrow and then Macclesfield as his career was extended in the non-leagues. 

Maurice will always be remembered for his rocket like left foot and his playing style (socks rolled down) and the thumping strike that saw Wigan beat Sheffield Wednesday in the F A Cup in 1977.