Peter Whittingham has died in Cardiff at the young age of 35 years old, following head injuries after a fall at a licensed premises in Barry. Born in Nuneaton, he spent 11 seasons at Cardiff City and was part of the club's success between 2007-17. He made over 450 appearances and scored 96 goals and was named Player of the Year in 2009-10. He helped the Bluebirds reach the FA Cup Final losing to Portsmouth 0-1 and the League Cup Final in 2012 losing to Liverpool 2-3.
There was a FL Championship title in 2013 which won him the title of PFA Player of the Season and he also was voted top player in 2009-10 and 2011-12. There was a FL Goal of the season award in 2012. Consequently he was voted to the FL Team of the Decade 2005-15.
Here are some of his great goals.
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-itm-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=itm&p=Peter+Wittingham#id=22&vid=b9ff22ed0cf0ee2f1154bee0e8fd59ad&action=view
His career began at Premier League, Aston Villa in 2003-7 with over 60 apps and an FA Youth Cup medal 2001-2, then briefly at Burnley and Derby 2004-6 in the Championship, before settling at Cardiff, where he helped them into the Premier League 2012-13. The Bluebirds didn't stay long!
His career ended at Blackburn Rovers 2016-17 where was helped the club to runners-up in the EFL League One, playing 24 times with a final season in the Championship with 1 appearance. He retired in August 2018.
Cardiff's greatest moment may well have been in 1926-7 when they won the FA Cup on April 23rd (St George's Day), at the new(ish) Wembley beating the favourites Arsenal 1-0.
The game followed the first ever "Community Singing" event, conducted by T.P.Ratcliffe, "The Man in White". The traditional song was "Abide with Me" the hymn written by a Devon vicar in 1847. This was the first and only time the FA Cup has been "out of England". The winning goal scored by Hugh Ferguson was "let in softly" by Arsenal's goalkeeper Dan Lewis (a Welshman). This was Arsenal's first Cup Final. The goal was blamed on the "new shiney jersey" worn by the goalie!
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrIQZxVs3NeRF4ADgt3Bwx.;_ylu=X3oDMTB0ZTgxN3Q0BGNvbG8DaXIyBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=cardiff+city+fc+1927+fa&type=pds_sjiqmxum1acegikmuebkmoqsuwl96p7j8qmodg
Cardiff also won the Welsh Cup that season beating Rhyl and then met The Corinthian FC in the Charity Shield and beat the amateurs at Stamford Bridge.
Cardiff were FA Cup runners-up in 1924-5 losing to Sheffield United 1-0. They were promoted from the Second Division in 1920-1 and came 4th the following season. They were runners up in the First Division (top flight then) in 1923-4, clearly a good period for the Bluebirds.
Cardiff was relegated from thre First Division in 1928-9 and relegated to the Third Division in 1930-1. In 1933-4 they came "root" in the Third Division South and didn't rise too high in the seasons before the war.
Founded in 1899, as Riverside AFC, in an attempt to keep the local cricket club players fit during the winter, the club first wore chocolate and amber but changed to blue and white in 1908 and also changed their name to Cardiff City. Their home ground, Ninian Park was built in 1910.
In 2012 the club change the colours controversly to red and black under Vincent Tan's ownership, to gain favour with international markets. This was not popular despite sporting the "national colours" and the club returned to blue in 2014-15.
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