Dave Whelan

Dave Whelan

Whelan watching a Wigan Athletic match from the owner's box in May 2010.
Personal information
Full name	David Whelan
Date of birth	(1936-11-24) 24 November 1936 (age 80)
Place of birth	Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, 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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

David "Dave" Whelan (born 24 November 1936) is an English former footballer. During his football career, he played for Blackburn Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. Whelan is the owner of Championship club Wigan Athletic, having also been the chairman of the club for twenty years, before passing the position over to his grandson, David Sharpe. He is also owner of the DW Stadium, home to Championship club Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors (rugby league). In July 2015, Whelan received an honorary degree from the University of Bolton, making him a Doctor of Business Administration.

Whelan was born in Bradford, and raised in Wigan. His forebears hailed from County Tipperary, Ireland.

Whelan was a member of Blackburn Rovers' 1960 FA Cup Final team, which lost 3–0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Whelan himself did not complete the game, a feisty challenge from Whelan on Normal Deeley culminated in the Blackburn man being withdrawn before half time due to a broken leg. Whelan's injury is one of many serious injuries suffered by players in the 1950–60 era and was known as the Wembley hoodoo. Following his leg break, Whelan was sold to Crewe Alexandra F.C. where he played for several years before retiring to concentrate fully on his chain of supermarkets, Whelan's Discount Stores, which were sold to Ken Morrison for over a million pounds.