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Lot Essay
The first-ever Football Association Tour of Australia took place between 7th May and August 3rd 1925, with twenty-five matches being played. England won every match, scoring 138 goals and conceding just 13.
Whittaker was an England player during this tour and suffered a serious knee injury in one of the early matches which forced his retiral from playing the game. The subsequent interest shown by Whittaker in his own injury led him to become interested in sports and in particular football injuries. This resulted in him becoming Arsenal's and England's Trainer and his subsequent mangagerial post at Highbury.
In the home Arsenal programme of 30th September 1950, (refering to an article in 1920s),the incident which led to Whittaker's injury is recorded ..... "our supporters will learn with intense regret that the active playing career of one of our most enthusiastic and loyal players, Tom Whittaker, is at an end. It will be recalled that Whittaker was chosen as one of the F.A.team which toured Australia in the summer of 1925. In a match at Woolongong New South Wales on 8th June 1925, Whittaker's knee was so badly injured in a vigorous tackle that he has not been able to kick a ball since. During the intervening time he has had the highest medical and surgical attention and an operation by Sir Robert Jones, the famous surgeon, did not have the desired result. Further examinations by the surgeons have produced the decree that Whittaker's playing career is now at an end, and it is with the keenest regret that I announce this fact for it means the loss of the services of a fine, powerful half-back who promised to go far in his chosen profession. There could be no more whole-hearted player nor yet one who has played the game in a finer spirit".
Whittaker was an England player during this tour and suffered a serious knee injury in one of the early matches which forced his retiral from playing the game. The subsequent interest shown by Whittaker in his own injury led him to become interested in sports and in particular football injuries. This resulted in him becoming Arsenal's and England's Trainer and his subsequent mangagerial post at Highbury.
In the home Arsenal programme of 30th September 1950, (refering to an article in 1920s),the incident which led to Whittaker's injury is recorded ..... "our supporters will learn with intense regret that the active playing career of one of our most enthusiastic and loyal players, Tom Whittaker, is at an end. It will be recalled that Whittaker was chosen as one of the F.A.team which toured Australia in the summer of 1925. In a match at Woolongong New South Wales on 8th June 1925, Whittaker's knee was so badly injured in a vigorous tackle that he has not been able to kick a ball since. During the intervening time he has had the highest medical and surgical attention and an operation by Sir Robert Jones, the famous surgeon, did not have the desired result. Further examinations by the surgeons have produced the decree that Whittaker's playing career is now at an end, and it is with the keenest regret that I announce this fact for it means the loss of the services of a fine, powerful half-back who promised to go far in his chosen profession. There could be no more whole-hearted player nor yet one who has played the game in a finer spirit".