David Wetherall
Born Sheffield 14 March 1971. A centre half, he began his career with hometown club Sheffield Wednesday on 1 July 1989. David was studying for a Chemistry degree and he represented Great Britain in the World Student Games of 1991 - the football section was staged at venues around the region, including Valley Parade. He eventually gained a 2:1 honours degree in Chemistry in 1992.
He moved to Leeds United for £250,000 on 15 July 1991. Wethers made 250 appearances for Leeds, scoring 18 goals. He joined City on 30 June 1999, for a fee of £1.4m.
After only ten minutes David Wetherall met a Gunnar Halle free kick with a thumping header that tore into the Bradford End net. Valley Parade went wild with delight, but another agonising eighty minutes lay ahead. Liverpool put the City goal under relentless pressure. Time and again heroics in the defence kept the Reds at bay. Keeper Matt Clarke was inspired, when he was beaten bodies were thrown into the path of goalbound shots. News of a Southampton goal, eased the pressure, but only for a few precious seasons. Still the grim battle went on.
Above and below: the shirt he wore, front, back and being worn Late in the second half news of a second Southampton goal sent Valley Parade into wonderland. A draw would now suffice, but still City's defenders refused to capitulate and ironically it was City who came closest to scoring before the referee's whistle signalled the biggest party since the FA Cup win. In some respects that gloriously sunny afternoon was the club's modern day zenith - perhaps even more so than promotion to the Premiership itself. Afterwards the club began a descent that has yet to be halted. Relegation came the following season and, even worse, a financial collapse in the summer of 2002, which nearly killed the club. The players, led by Captain David Wetherall, played a full part in saving the club from extinction. They went months without wages over the summer and later agreed to wage deferrals and contract extensions, that went a long way to ensuring that the club was able to reach its Centenary. Throughout another financial collapse of 2004 the steadying influence of David Wetherall helped the club negociate yet another difficult period in its long history. His calm words soothed frayed nerves as the club teetered on the brink of extinction. With the club facing a relegation battle in early 2007 Wethers was made caretaker manager. Although City went ultimately went down, performances improved markedly, but the absence of leading scorer Dean Windass, who had been sent out on loan to help pay a tax bill, was a major factor as to why the battle against the drop was lost. When Stuart McCall was named City manager in the summer of 2007, Wethers happily reverted to his former role of captain and mainstay of the defence. He was insistent that his short spell in the managerial hot seat hadn’t quelled his ultimate ambition to become a manager when he eventaully hangs his boots up.
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His arrival came as City were preparing for life in the Premiership. Wethers became a central figure in City's battle for survival. His partnership with the emerging Andy O'Brien in central defence was the front line in City's survival attempt. If ever a season was epitmoised in one day, then it was the last game of the 1999-00 season. City faced Champions League chasing Liverpool at Valley Parade, however, their fate was not in their own hands. Wimbledon, one place above City, were at Southampton.
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