FAREWELL, WHITTS
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ARDIFF City fans have been paying their respects to Peter Whittingham by laying tributes at the club’s Cardiff City Stadium home.
The news of the Bluebird icon’s death emerged on Thursday afternoon. It has shocked the football world, with players and supporters alike uniting to send their respects to the former Cardiff, Burnley, Derby, Blackburn and Aston Villa man.
And following the confirmation of his sad passing, supporters over the past few days have been placing floral tributes on the Fred Keenor statue located just outside the Bluebirds’ 33,000-seater ground.
Some left messages written on cards while others placed bunches of flowers and shirts at the base of the statue as a mark of respect.
A message from someone called Charlotte read: “RIP Peter
Whittingham. Whitts, you were the best number 7 Cardiff ever had. Life is so cruel and you were too young to be taken from family, friends and Cardiff fans. Heaven has gained another talented footballer for the Bluebird team up there. And here’s to you, Peter Whittingham, Cardiff loves you more than you will know.”
Whittingham had been on life support at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff after suffering a head injury following an incident at a Barry pub on March 7.
The former midfielder played more than 450 times for Cardiff between 2007 and 2017, scoring 96 goals.
Former team-mates and managers have also paid their respects, with Dave Jones and Neil Warnock speaking fondly of him.
“He was so quiet,” Warnock told Wales on Sunday.
“He had a dry sense of humour, though! When he said something, he usually made you laugh! He wasn’t one of the jokers in the pack, but he would come up with some crackers! Just when you didn’t expect it. Obviously, he was a family man.
“You could see that when he packed it in at Blackburn, he wanted to just stick with his family and have more time with them. Others would have gone abroad, maybe, not Peter, he wanted to stick with his family and mates down here.”
Jones added that he tipped Whittingham to play for Liverpool – he was that sure of his ability.
He said: “I remember talking to Kenny Dalglish when Kenny went back to Liverpool as manager.
“I met him, I had dinner with him, and I told him he should have a look at him.
“That’s how highly about him.
“I thought he was a Premier League player all day long. But I don’t know if Kenny did ever take a look at him.”
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