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Personal
Fullname: Brian Whittaker
Born: 23 September 1956
Died: 7 September 1997
Birthplace: Glasgow
Signed: 19 August 1983 (from Partick Thistle)
Left: 22 May 1984 (to Hearts)
Position: Defender, Left-back
First game: Brechin City 0-0 home League cup 27 August 1983
Last game: Hearts 1-1 away League 5 May 1984
First goal: Airdrie 6-1 away League cup 31 August 1983
Last goal: Hibernian 5-1 home League 29 October 1983
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: under 21
Biog
Left-back Brian Whittaker signed for the Hoops from Partick Thistle in August 1983 in a part exchange for young Celt John Buckley and was one of Davie Hay’s first signings for the club.
He had started his career with Partick Thistle in 1974 although he had been linked with a move to Parkhead as far back as the summer of 1978 as well as Rangers and several English clubs although nothing had ever materialised..
Physically strong and with a fine left foot,the £50,000 buy enjoyed a good start to his Celtic career after making his debut in a 0-0 home draw with Brechin City in the League Cup on August 27th.
He played in two victorious Celtic sides against Rangers in September and November 1983 and in the latter game at Ibrox he went through Sandy Clark – ‘like a dose of salts‘, according to press reports.
His greatest moment was on 29th October 1983, when he executed a magnificent overhead kick past his old Thistle team mate Alan Rough in a 5-1 win over Hibs and promptly ran over to the Jungle to take an impromptu bow.
However after a spell out with injury he lost both his place in the team and his form and despite being willing to stay and fight for a starting spot, in May 1984 he moved to Hearts in a swap-deal for John Buckley, after making just 16 appearances and scoring three goals.
“It just didn’t work out,” said manager Davie Hay on Brian Whittaker’s stint at Celtic.
On his return to Celtic Park as a Hearts player on 15th September, Whitaker came on as a substitute at the start of the second-half and was sent off within five minutes without having kicked a ball. He was quickly learning the hard man ways of Hearts’ direct methods, as he was sent out to show Celtic player John Colquhon who was boss. Ironically, John Colquhon went on to move to Hearts and become a very popular player there.
Brian Whittaker went on to spend 6 years as a player at Hearts.
He left Hearts for Falkirk before returning to Hearts as a coach.
He later had started working as an agent, but then in early September 1997 Brian was tragically killed in a car crash. May he rest in peace.
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 1983-84 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Goals: | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Honours with Celtic
none
Pictures
Obituary
Brian Whittaker
The Herald
Tuesday 9 September 1997 / News
IT WOULD be hard to find anyone who did not like Brian Whittaker, who died in a car crash on Sunday. As a player with Partick Thistle, Celtic, Hearts, and Falkirk, Brian made a host of friends but also had the greater gift of keeping them.
If any word fits snugly around Whittaker, gregarious would have to be it. Brian loved the company of people, footballers in particular but not exclusively.
He played his first senior game for Partick Thistle as a 19-year-old against Clyde in 1975 and went on to become the epitome of Firhill footballers, talented, zany and immensely likeable.
His move to Celtic in 1983 probably came too late to hoist him into the higher echelons where his natural talent ought to have blossomed.
Had it come four years or so earlier there is every chance he would have gone a great deal further than he did. As it was, after a year he moved to Hearts and was still their player-***-commercial manager when he joined Falkirk.
A left back of style and class, Brian perhaps was a little before his time as a player at the top professional level, in that he was a wing back before the term had been invented. So left-footed was he that it is difficult to recall him making any serious contribution with his right foot but he had enough delicacy in his good boot that it never proved a problem.
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After he ended his playing days he became a successful agent with a growing number of clients and was still very much welcome at Tynecastle where he spent most of his later playing days.
Friendly, with a great sense of fun which stretched readily to self mockery, Brian Whittaker leaves those of us who knew him feeling the better for it.
