Simon Whaley

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Simon Whaley

| image = Simon Whaley 1.png

| image_size =

| caption = Whaley playing for Preston North End in 2008

| fullname = Simon Whaley{{Cite book

| editor-first = Barry J.

| editor-last = Hugman

| title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10

| year = 2009

| publisher = Mainstream Publishing

| isbn = 978-1-84596-474-0

| page = 435 }}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|6|7|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bolton, England

| height = {{height|m=1.80}}

| position = Winger

| currentclub =

| years1 = 2002–2006

| clubs1 = Bury

| caps1 = 73

| goals1 = 11

| years2 = 2006–2009

| clubs2 = Preston North End

| caps2 = 120

| goals2 = 14

| years3 = 2008

| clubs3 = → Barnsley (loan)

| caps3 = 4

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2009–2010

| clubs4 = Norwich City

| caps4 = 3

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2009

| clubs5 = → Rochdale (loan)

| caps5 = 9

| goals5 = 2

| years6 = 2009

| clubs6 = → Bradford City (loan)

| caps6 = 6

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2010

| clubs7 = Chesterfield

| caps7 = 6

| goals7 = 1

| clubs8 = Doncaster Rovers

| caps8 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| years8 = 2010–2011

| clubs9 = Burton Albion

| caps9 = 3

| goals9 = 0

| years9 = 2011

| clubs10 = Chorley

| caps10 = 19

| goals10 = 4

| years10 = 2011

| totalcaps = 243 | totalgoals = 34

}}

Simon Whaley (born 7 June 1985) is an English former footballer who played as a winger. He made more than 200 appearances in the Football League playing for Bury, Preston North End, Barnsley, Norwich City, Rochdale and Bradford City.

Career

Whaley was born in Bolton and began his football career as a trainee with Bury. He made his first-team debut in the Football League Trophy in October 2002 and made his first appearance in the Football League on 9 November 2002 as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 defeat at home to Torquay United, and went on to make 85 appearances for the club.{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=33618&season_id=132 |title=Games played by Simon Whaley in 2002/2003 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=22 March 2010}} After scoring seven goals in the first half of the 2005–06 season, bringing his career total to 11, Whaley stepped up two divisions to join Preston North End of the Championship in January 2006. He signed a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of £250,000 possibly rising to £300,000.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/4590952.stm |title=Preston sign Whaley from Shakers |work=BBC Sport|date=7 January 2006 |accessdate=22 March 2010}} He made his debut for Preston as a second-half substitute for Brian Stock in the League match against Millwall on 14 January, and went on to make a further 17 appearances that season, scoring three times in the last three away matches of the League season, against Leicester City, Coventry City and Hull City, as North End reached the play-offs.{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=33618&season_id=135 |title=Games played by Simon Whaley in 2005/2006 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=22 March 2010}}

He scored three goals in his first six games of the 2006–07 season,{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=33618&season_id=136 |title=Games played by Simon Whaley in 2006/2007 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=22 March 2010}} grabbing all the headlines from his former Bury teammate David Nugent,{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} and went on to score a further three before the end of October. However, as Whaley and Preston's form faltered in the second half of the 2006/7 season it would be the final game of the season before he scored again, the only goal in the 1–0 win over Birmingham City, which was not enough to secure a play-off place as Preston finished 7th having been top of the league in December.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/6602867.stm |title=Preston 1–0 Birmingham |work=BBC Sport|date=6 May 2007 |accessdate=22 March 2010}}

Whaley began the 2007/8 season in and out of the Preston squad as their poor form continued, winning only three of their first nineteen games.

In November 2007 a 3–0 defeat at Hull saw the dismissal of manager Paul Simpson and, under his replacement Alan Irvine, Whaley was given a new lease of life as he switched to the left hand side to accommodate Chris Sedgwick's return on the right. This steadied Preston's defensive frailties and gave Whaley free rein as an out and out left winger leading to winning goals against Burnley and Scunthorpe in the league and in a 1–4 victory over Premiership Derby in the FA Cup.

But it was in the next round of the cup, a televised home fixture against Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth, that Whaley would seal his fate at Deepdale and possibly define the rest of his career. With the score 0–0 in the second half, Whaley ripping Portsmouth left back Glenn Johnson to shreds and Preston very much on top of their Premier League visitors, the home side were awarded a penalty. As regular and almost faultless penalty taker Callum Davidson spoke with deputy Neil Mellor, Whaley picked up the ball and placed it on the spot amidst protests from a number of his teammates. Their protests were well founded as Whaley's penalty was saved by David James and despite further chances, Preston exited the competition to a last minute own goal.

Following the game Whaley is rumoured to have been outcast by his teammates and subsequently his form dropped during the remainder of the season whilst a widely touted £1.5m transfer to Middlesbrough failed to materialise.

Despite Whaley starting the 2008/09 season as first choice and scoring the winning in Preston's opening day win at Ipswich he soon found himself as second choice behind newly arrived Ross Wallace. Out of favour and still rumoured to be unpopular in the dressing room, Whaley joined Barnsley on loan for a month in November 2008.{{cite news |title=Tykes sign Preston winger Whaley |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/7715463.stm |date=7 November 2008 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=24 July 2009}}{{cite news |url=http://www.lep.co.uk/pnenews/Whaley39s-Deepdale-pledge.4817397.jp |title=Whaley's Deepdale pledge |first=Brian |last=Ellis |newspaper=Lancashire Evening Post |date=23 December 2008 |accessdate=22 March 2010}} Whaley returned determined to fight for his place but found himself reduced to substitute appearances with his next start only coming in March 2009 before Whaley was dropped completely following a 0–1 defeat to rivals Blackpool. Whaley did not return that season as Preston won their remaining games to reach the playoff semi finals.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

In July 2009 Whaley signed a two-year contract with Norwich City for an undisclosed fee, later reported as £250,000.{{cite news |title=Three more sign for Norwich City |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8166795.stm |date=24 July 2009 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}}{{cite news |title=Whaley moves to Rochdale on loan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rochdale/8263670.stm |date=18 September 2009 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}}

Whaley started Norwich's first four games, but then lost his place under new manager Paul Lambert, and in mid-September he joined Rochdale on a month's loan. He made his debut against Northampton Town as a 62nd-minute substitute, and on his first start for the club, scored their second goal in a 4–1 victory over Hereford United.{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=33618&season_id=139 |title=Games played by Simon Whaley in 2009/2010 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=22 March 2010}} After a second month with Rochdale,{{cite news |title=Whaley extends Rochdale loan deal |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8310701.stm |date=19 October 2009 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}} Whaley moved on to Bradford City, on loan until 2 January 2010,{{cite news |title=Norwich loan Whaley to Bradford |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/8370076.stm |date=20 November 2009 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}} making his debut on 21 November as a second-half substitute, replacing Scott Neilson in a 1–1 draw with AFC Bournemouth. Bradford City chose not to extend Whaley's loan,{{cite news |title=Norwich winger Simon Whaley back at Carrow Road |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8439151.stm |date=4 January 2010 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}} and on 1 February his Norwich contract was cancelled by mutual consent, leaving him a free agent.{{cite news |title=Winger Simon Whaley released by Norwich City |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/8491418.stm |date=1 February 2010 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}}

After a trial with Oldham Athletic,{{cite news |title=Whaley in for Latics trials |url=http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/10/oldham-athletic-news/36592/whaley-in-for-latics-trials |first=Matthew |last=Chambers |date=11 February 2010 |newspaper=Oldham Chronicle |accessdate=22 March 2010}} Whaley signed for League Two club Chesterfield until the end of the season.{{cite news |title=Chesterfield sign up midfielder Simon Whaley |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chesterfield/8524242.stm |date=19 February 2010 |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=22 March 2010}}

In November 2010, he started training with Doncaster Rovers to regain his fitness, and due to an injury crisis, he was signed by the Championship club on non-contract terms so that he could take his place on the bench for an away game at Portsmouth, which Doncaster won 3–2. He was an unused substitute in this game having played no competitive football since March, and subsequently left the club on 12 January 2011.

From 9 February 2011, Whaley went on a second trial at promotion chasing Oldham Athletic{{cite news|title=Latics look at triallists |url=http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~2288562,00.html |date=9 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212165034/http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~2288562,00.html |archive-date=12 February 2011 }} but was not successful during the trial.

On 4 March Whaley signed for Burton Albion on a short-term contract,{{cite news| url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12875_6794332,00.html | work=Sky Sports | title=Whaley goes for a Burton | date=4 March 2011}} and made his debut the following day in the 4–1 defeat at Crewe Alexandra. He left the club in late March after 3 appearances for the Brewers. Whaley joined Northern Premier League side Chorley in August 2011,{{Cite web|url=http://nonleague.pitchero.com/news/whaley-coup-for-magpies-5824/|title = Whaley Coup for Magpies|date = 17 August 2011}} later opting to retire from playing in December 2011,{{Cite web|url=http://www.chorleyfc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1123:simon-whaley-retires-from-playing-and-says-thanks-to-chorley-fans&catid=3:news&Itemid=22/|title = Chorley FC}} due to a recurring knee injury and now intends to move into coaching.