It’s getting on for four years since I last did a ‘Memory Lane’ thread. That was about the move to Meadow Lane in 1910. I came across this story a couple of months ago and thought it may be of interest.
Tommy Lawton joined Notts from Chelsea for a record transfer fee in November 1947. However, his transfer may not have occurred if the ‘star’ centre-forward the Magpies were chasing the previous year had lived up to expectations.
On the 6th of February 1946, the Nottingham Evening Post carried the headline,
WILL HE SIGN FOR NOTTS?
“Most Potent Bit Of Soccer Dynamite”
Fred Whittaker, 22-year-old Canadian centre-forward, described as Tommy Lawton’s “double” and “the most potent bit of soccer dynamite to hit Canadian soccer in 20 years”, has been offered a chance to play for Notts County.
Major Buckley, the Notts manager, had sent Whittaker a cable offering him a passage to England. Whittaker, who was due to be demobilised from the Army, said he would accept “providing the terms were right”.
Whittaker was a prolific goal scorer in Canada. In 25 matches the previous season, he scored 50 goals, including twenty goals in his last four games. (Makes you question the strength of the opposition).
It was C.R.Foster, the sportswriter of the “Vancouver Daily Province” and originally from Radcliffe-on-Trent, who had brought Whittaker to the notice of the Magpies.
Five months later, on the 13th of July 1946, the following appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post:
GREATEST ENTERPRISE OF NOTTS
New Manager Goes By Air To Sign Canadian
Notts County today gave news of what is by far their greatest enterprise, the despatch of their new manager, Mr AW Stollery, by air to Canada, in order to sign the Vancouver North Shore FC centre-forward, Fred Whittaker. This indicates the spirit in which the executive of the League’s oldest club are tackling their problems and of their determination to spare no efforts to bring the County to the high standards which a club possessing their great traditions should aspire.
The Evening Post reported a week later that Whittaker would fly to New York and cross the Atlantic onboard the Queen Mary, arriving in England on the 21st of August and would be available for the first match of the season against Bournemouth at Meadow Lane.
Whittaker was married on the 10th of August, and the following weekend the couple flew to New York in time to board the Aquitania for their Atlantic crossing. They were met by Manager Strolley and the Notts’ Secretary, Mr W.Fisher, on their arrival at Southampton on Saturday the 24th of August.
It looks as though he just made it to Meadow Lane in time for the team photo, as he’s still wearing his overcoat! Manager Arthur Stollery is seated to Whittaker’s right.
Notts began the new season at Meadow Lane against Bournemouth seven days later, and Fred Whittaker went straight into the side at centre forward. In front of a bumper crowd of 26,779, the home team secured a 1-0 victory.
The Nottingham Journal said of his debut,
The afternoon’s centre of attention was of course, strongly built, tall, Canadian centre-forward Fred Whittaker, making his English football debut, exactly a week after landing at Southampton. It was a big ordeal for this 23-year-old to play his initial match before such a big crowd, and supporters will realise that he needs time to settle down before one can judge his play by League standards. When he sharpens up a little, he may well be an outstanding performer. He showed one or two neat touches, but naturally and obviously found his environment a little strange.
The following Saturday, Notts visited Ninian Park for their game against Cardiff. In front of a crowd just short of 25,000 Notts, who missed a penalty and hit the crossbar, were unlucky to lose 2-1.
The Nottingham Journal said,
Whittaker, after an opening which promised well, was invariably in the grip of Stansfield, the Cardiff pivot.
Four days later, Whittaker was dropped for the Wednesday night game against Bristol City at Meadow Lane. The Canadian centre-forward had not yet fitted into League football, and it was thought that a run in the reserves would enable the Canadian to get acclimatised. However, Mr A.W Strolley, the County Manager, insisted that he “had full confidence in Whittaker, who has not been dropped but is being rested.”
TO BE CONTINUED ….
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