Cod Almighty | Article

by Simon Wilson

3 August 2006

Town's pre-season is coming to an end. We're hangin' by the players' tunnel that runs into the underbelly of the Main Stand. There's the raucous laughter of kids running riot up and down the gantry. Players drift out on their way home. Some look extremely weary; the rest, fortunately, look perky. The lights are slowly being flicked off round the ground. Near us a young girl is being given advice by another girl. "If you say at school that your dad is Justin Whittle, the club's captain, you'll be dead popular."

If a fully grown Town fan were to name Justin Whittle as their favourite player, however, this opinion would not be dead popular. Supporters tend to go for players who are technically accomplished, not for the 'rough diamonds' such as Whittle who are there to get a job done. Which is what he does: he's a defender, there to stop the opposition scoring, whatever it takes. Anyone who remembers how tight Town's defence was last season might also be aware that Whittle was the defender who made the most appearances during the season. He is also the captain and if the fans don't see him as a favourite then the players do, as he leads by example, putting everything he can on the line.

Just when the trickle of players leaving seems to have stopped, we think our man's sneaked out the back door. But no, it's just a brief pause. Whittle strides down the tunnel, cheerily saying goodnight as he goes. "You all right for a natter, Justin?"

"Yeah, not a problem." His high spirits undampened, Whittle sits down and answers our questions with surprising enthusiasm and a smile almost always on his face.

How has pre-season gone?
It's gone good actually. You know we've played better against the lesser teams away from home, and we've played some good sides at home. It's not been easy, but we've now given a good account of ourselves. We got new players in again, but it's coming together now ready for the start of the season.

What's it like playing under Graham Rodger?
It's good – obviously a lot of the players already know him; they know what he wants and what he's trying to do. It's good to have someone we all know, not a fresh face and not having to make a lot of changes. We've had to make a few changes because of players going but the ones that have come in are more than capable of putting in a good performance.

Have the players got over the end of the season?
Yeah. It was disappointing at the end of last season. We didn't give a good account of ourselves in the [play-off] final; maybe it was something that was a step too far on the day. We obviously didn't perform on the day and that's why we lost. Cheltenham played well. OK, we beat them twice in the league but it counts for nothing if you don't put the same performance in for the final. I'm disappointed and that that we didn't go through, but the boys will be trying to go one better this season. 

Was it a difficult decision to re-sign in the summer?
It was easy enough for me because I've been here two years. There's no reason for me to uproot and move on. The players here are good enough and the ones that we've brought in are more than good enough to take the club forward.

What's it like being without Stick?
[laughs] It's... I dunno... it's hard. We've lost Rob and he was a good player for us. Unfortunately he couldn't agree a deal with the club and he moved on up to Scotland. And he's done really well for Hibs. I've text him a few times and he's just moved into his new house, he's got a new child, he's more than happy. He's moved up to a big club up there, got the chance to play against Celtic and Rangers. It's something he couldn't really turn down. And he's from up that way anyway – Middlesbrough – which isn't too far away.

Having said that, we've got Ben Futcher who's a similar player who's come in and was unlucky not to play in the final – he did very well in the two play-off games against Lincoln. We've worked together, we've played a few games together now, but the more games we play together the better things become, obviously. We've got an experienced right-back with Macca and an upcoming young lad, Tom Newey. If we stay injury-free, who knows...

Last year defensively we were probably the second or third team in the league not letting in goals and if we can do that again this season then it'll put us in a good position again to do well.

What do you put that record down to? The team as a whole wanting to go out and be as stingy at the back as possible?
Yeah, definitely, and the way we played suited us. When you've got defenders in there who are naturally gifted in defending - and what we want to do is defend, not to concede goals - then it's a great bonus to the team when you've got so many fighting, wanting to do the right thing, so determined not to concede goals.

We've always got a bit of magic in the team that will get us goals – obviously Gary Jones, Michael Reddy. And there's a few from midfield. It's always a big help for [the forwards]. If we don't concede goals, we've always got a chance of winning games when you've got so many talented players who can score.

When you're playing you just seem to get in the way of things, like you don't have to think about it. How does that happen?
It's something that's always been there! I've always played as centre-half. I remember when I was a kid they put me at centre-half. You get it over the years. You have to be a little bit mad, I suppose, but you're there to stop goals by any way or mean within the rules. That's what I do. I try to... [laughs] Maybe I bend them a little bit now and again, but it's always if you can get away with little pushes, little shoves or whatever you can do. But you do learn little tricks over the years.

Do you genuinely feel aggrieved when something goes against you and you look almost incredulous about it?
It's always one of those things! I know a lot of the refs now anyway. Sometimes when I think I'm legitimately going in for a fair challenge and it goes against you I'm disappointed. But if I watch it on video later I'd say yeah, it's a free kick. But at the time you feel like you're doing it in the rules. No-one goes out there to deliberately hurt anyone or deliberately give a free kick away, but it happens and you have to get on with it.

There are quite a few players now [currently playing] who are naturally gifted at defending. But kids out there, they don't want to be a defender. They want to be a striker or a goalie. No-one wants to play in defence. Defending is something I've always been able to do; it's just something I like doing. I get the odd goal now and again. [laughs] I get... one a season!

Does it benefit the team having Gary Jones in there? His experience as a defender must help at set pieces, help you defenders out and provide an 'ally' from upfield.
Definitely. Not only do you need a defence to stop scoring goals, but you need the midfield and the forwards to do their bit. And that's what we did last season: we defended as a team, not just a back four. Everybody did their job. Everyone did something to help the team.