Anyone else remember him as fondly as me?

He wasn't everyone's cup of tea, bit of a showman with white boots and curly blonde hair. I liked him as he was only little but got stuck right in to anyone much bigger than him and was full of energy. Quite often he would come on as sub and his introduction used to galvanise the crowd at SP and he usually would make a difference to the outcome of the game for the better.

"Bring on Whittle" used to ring round Selhurst Park if we were playing badly for years after he stopped playing for us.

Any memories/stories of games he played in anyone?

He certainly had some good games when he first arrived scoring in the famous 5-0 v Manure and his overall scoring record was pretty good for a winger. I always felt he flattered to deceive though, he had a very high stepping action which seemed designed to feign energetic action which, latterly, was rarely the case.

Must have been one of the very few English players to have played in Iran with one of their big clubs Persepolis. He had a season there scoring nine goals but had to hotfoot it out of the country a bit sharpish when the Shah was overthrown and the mad mullahs were taking over.

lo Selhurst silva felix, lo Selhurst cara nutrix, viget, vigeat, vigebit! Best team:- Jackson; Gilbert, Evans, Cannon, Sansom; Hughes, Kember, McNichol; Byrne, Holton, Wright.

his Palace debut against Man Ure in Dec '72. Scored our 4th goal and it was a superb strike from the edge of the area. Will always be one of my top 5 CPFC games.

"5 foot 2, eyes of blue, Alan Whittle's after you" etc etc

Me and my mate got to Sunderland OK.
The Palace directors were all delayed.
Alison sat in the Directors Box on his own.
In those days we used to go in the Supporters Club (now the Car Park),Whittle once pinched my mates now wife on the arse.!!!

On another ocaision a pissed Whittle was driving her and a mate around in his car (trying to do a Rooney).!!!!!

Palace 13th 2017/18.

Cracking little player and everyone remembers his goal in that game,against Man Ure.He remined me of another small player some years before,Andy Smillie.

Apparently he was really wound up and nervous before the Fa Cup Semi Final against Southampton that he was physically sick in the dressing room before kick off.

Edited by eagle in cornwall (06 Sep 2010 7.18pm)

........................Then along came Johnny Byrne! and the rest, as they say, is history.....................

No,I meant Andy Smillie when playing alongside Johnny Byrne with his running style and also being short with arms held quite high,which was similar in some ways to Whittle.
He was a grafter but didn't get the recognition he deserved at the time.
As you say Neil was just after the cup run side that Whittle was part of.

Edited by eagle in cornwall (06 Sep 2010 10.48pm)

........................Then along came Johnny Byrne! and the rest, as they say, is history.....................