Dave Whelan facts for kids
Whelan watching a Wigan Athletic match from the owner's box in May 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Whelan | ||
| Date of birth | 24 November 1936 | ||
| Place of birth | Bradford, England | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1956–1960 | Blackburn Rovers | 78 | (3) |
| 1962–1966 | Crewe Alexandra | 115 | (0) |
| Total | 193 | (3) | |
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David Whelan (born 24 November 1936) is a well-known English businessman. He was also a professional footballer (soccer player). During his playing career, he played for teams like Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra.
Later, Dave Whelan became famous as the owner of Wigan Athletic. He was the chairman of the club for 20 years. He then passed the ownership to his grandson, David Sharpe.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Dave Whelan was born in Bradford, England. He grew up in Wigan. His family came from County Tipperary, Ireland.
Football Career Highlights
Whelan played as a left back for Blackburn Rovers. He played 78 games and scored three goals. He was part of the team that reached the 1960 FA Cup Final.
Sadly, in that final game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Whelan broke his leg. This injury forced him to leave the game early. It was a serious injury, common for players in that era.
After his injury, Whelan moved to Crewe Alexandra. He played 115 games for them between 1963 and 1966. After that, he stopped playing football professionally. He wanted to focus on starting his own business.
Building Businesses
Starting Whelan Discount Stores
Dave Whelan began his business journey with a market stall in Wigan. He learned about selling groceries. He then visited America and saw how self-service supermarkets worked.
He brought these ideas back to England. He started his own chain of supermarkets. By the late 1960s, he had 10 stores across Lancashire. In 1978, he sold his business to Morrisons for £1.5 million.
Growing JJB Sports
In 1971, Whelan bought a sports store in Wigan called JJ Bradburns. He kept the name JJB Sports. The initials "JJB" came from the previous owners. He continued to sell sports clothing and equipment.
JJB Sports grew very quickly. By 1980, it had seven stores. It expanded throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It became one of the biggest sports retailers in the UK.
In 2005, JJB Sports faced a fine. This was because the company had worked with other businesses to set prices for football shirts. This meant customers might have paid more than they should have. Whelan gradually reduced his involvement in the company. He stepped down as chairman in 2005. He sold his remaining shares in 2007.
Creating DW Sports Fitness
In 2009, Dave Whelan bought back some of JJB's fitness clubs and stores. He created a new company called DW Sports Fitness. The "DW" stands for Dave Whelan.
Wigan Athletic's stadium was also renamed the DW Stadium. This showed the link to his new company.
Owning Wigan Athletic F.C.
Dave Whelan bought Wigan Athletic in February 1995. At that time, they were in the third division of English football. Whelan made a big promise: he said he would get Wigan Athletic into the Premier League.
He kept his promise! Wigan Athletic won the Division Three title in 1997. They won the Division Two title in 2003. Then, in 2005, they were promoted to the Premier League.
Whelan also paid £30 million to build the club's new stadium. It was first called the JJB Stadium, but is now the Brick Community Stadium. It opened in 1999.
Many people thought Wigan would be relegated from the Premier League quickly. But they stayed in the top league for eight years! They even finished 10th in one season. In 2006, they reached the final of the Football League Cup.
In 2013, Wigan Athletic had an amazing moment. They won the FA Cup Final against Manchester City. Ben Watson scored the winning goal in the last minutes. This was Wigan's first major trophy ever! It was a special moment for Whelan, 53 years after his own FA Cup Final injury.
However, just three days later, Wigan was relegated from the Premier League. This ended their eight-year stay in the top division. On March 3, 2015, Whelan stepped down as chairman. His 23-year-old grandson, David Sharpe, took over the role.
Selling Wigan Warriors
Dave Whelan also owned the Wigan Warriors rugby league club. In 2007, he decided to sell his 89% share in the club. Ian Lenagan bought the club from him. The deal was completed in December 2007.
Involvement with Orrell Rugby Union Club
Whelan also had plans to form a rugby union team. He and Maurice Lindsay, another sports figure, looked into investing in Orrell Rugby Union Club. The club's members agreed to sell their shares. However, the big investment promises did not fully come true.
Political Views
Dave Whelan supports the Conservative Party in the UK. He has given money to the party since 2007. He said he fully supported David Cameron, who was the leader of the party.
In 2013, he suggested that all football games should have a moment of silence. This was to remember Margaret Thatcher, a former Prime Minister. However, the Football Association did not accept this idea.
Awards and Honours
As a Player
Blackburn Rovers
- FA Cup runner-up: 1959–60
As an Owner
Wigan Athletic
- Football League Second Division: 2002–03
- Football League Third Division: 1996–97
- FA Cup: 2012–13
- Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2004–05
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2005–06
Individual Awards
- On August 30, 2007, he was given the Freedom of the Borough of Wigan. This is a special honour from the local council.
- In July 2015, he received an Honorary degree from the University of Bolton. He was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).
