Bill Whatley died in
Shooters Hill, Greenwich, South London, England in early December 1974.
His funeral was held at Eltham Crematorium on 12th December 1974.
bill whatley - fact file
1932 - 1947 defender
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FULL NAME : WILLIAM JOHN WHATLEY Born on 12th October 1912 at Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales. Height : - .m (5' 8") Weight : - - kgs (11st 10lbs) Bill Whatley took a strange route to Tottenham, having been born in Wales, but brought up in London before returning to the country of his birth to play for his home town team Ebbw Vale and was spotted there by a Tottenham scout. However, Tottenham came to be his only love when it came to professional football. Joined Spurs as a youngster from Ebbw Vale in 1929 as an amateur and was farmed out to Haywards Sports, Barnet and Northfleet United to gain experience, then filled the left back position when Cecil Poynton was injured four games into the 1932-33 season. Coming in for his debut at home to Nottingham Forest, he displayed a series of consistent performances, which kept his place in that promotion team and for most of the decade. Whatley developed into a polished and sportsmanlike full back, always conducting himself in an impeccable manner and a string of reliable performances over the years saw Whatley become a regular first choice. Bill's progress was one of the few bright spots in the 1934-5 season, which saw Tottenham relegated to Division 2, but he still caught the eyes of the Welsh selection committee, making two appearances for the national side. However, his appearances were curtailed when he suffered an illness before the start of World War II and was unable to play. When war broke out, Whatley gained representative honours in the Forces during World War II and guested for Arsenal, Fulham, Stockport County and West Ham United during the conflict. Served in India with the Army, Whatley became a member of the Tommy Walker XI that toured the East. Bill was demobbed in 1946, enjoying two post war seasons of football before his career ending injury. On the resumption of football following the war, Bill's career continued in the Reserves, providing a father figure to the young players in the side, but his time as a professional footballer was ended when he broke an ankle from which he never really recovered, retiring in 1948. Whatley continued to serve the club as a coach and scout, identifying Harry Clarke, Dennis Uphill and Mel Hopkins as future stars for Spurs. When he left Tottenham, he went on to manage Gravesend and Northfleet. In 1974, Bill lived in Eltham, Kent with his wife Irene and was employed as a company messenger in the West End of London. His most memorable game for Tottenham was the FA Cup replay on 22nd February 1937 when Spurs were 1-3 down to Everton at home, but Spurs went on to win 4-3.
Bill Whatley died in
Shooters Hill, Greenwich, South London, England in early December 1974.
His funeral was held at Eltham Crematorium on 12th December 1974. NICKNAME :
Career Record
Career Record
Milestones |
Appearances
| Season | League | FA Cup |
| 1932-33 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
| 1933-34 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
| 1934-35 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
| 1935-36 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
| 1936-37 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
| 1937-38 | - (- goals) | - (- goals) |
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