Position: Striker
From: Sheffield Wednesday - on loan - March 1999
Record: Played: 4(1) Scored: 0
To: Sheffield Wednesday - end of loan - May 1999
Career stats: Soccerbase
He was: Coincidental
"WHAT A SIGNING!" I shrieked in a player profile written on the day of Guy Whittingham's
arrival. "SUDDENLY, SATURDAY'S GAME AGAINST BURY IS SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!"
The over-excitement was easily explained. During a loan period at his spiritual home, Portsmouth, Whittingham
had scored seven goals in nine games to follow on from record-breaking feats during
previous spells at Fratton. But for their financial crisis, the south coast
club would've signed him permanently - instead, he returned to Sheffield Wednesday and was
immediately the subject of a phone call from Graham Taylor. Suddenly, during a barren
patch that was threatening to leave us sliding away towards mid-table, we had a fully fit and thoroughly in-form goalscorer in the squad.
We didn't look back. The goals flowed, the wins kept coming. Although the Bury encounter was awful beyond comprehension, it was the
first step along a road that was to lead to Wembley, the Premiership and tear-soaked heaven. You
can read all about it elsewhere.
The fully fit and in-form goalscorer? Well, that was Tommy Mooney. Guy Whittingham looked and
played much like someone's genial but unfortunately-bearded uncle, failed to score any goals, and
quietly disappeared from the first team scene before returning to Sheffield once more. A footnote
to one of the greatest chapters in Watford's history.