Ted "Mr Football" Whitten was one of Australias A.F.L. Legendary Footballers.
Ted died on August 17, 1995. The Western Oval became a shrine to the great man as news of his death spread throughout Melbourne. A huge painting of Ted became the focus for people as they brought flowers and other tributes to the Western Oval in Melbourne, Australia.Ted was accorded a State Funeral at St Patrick's Cathederal on August 22, 1995.
Two thousand fans packed into the Social Club at the Western Oval to watch a live broadcast of the funeral and pay their last repects to their champion. Thousands packed the streets and cheered as the funeral cortege wound through Footscray, past the Western Oval to the crematorium at Altona North.
The Eulogy at the Funeral was deivered by one of Ted Whitten's best mate Bob Skilton. "This country needs heroes like Ted Whitten and "Weary" Dunlop, inspirations to us all. "It is not often that you say goodbye to a man of such calibre. Truly a momentous occasion. Mr. Football - no name could evre have been more apt."For those who did not see him play, he was the greatest. As a player, a complete package. A fine athlete, wonderful skills, tough as nails, a fierce competitor, thriving on the thrill of the contest. The better the opposition, the more he loved it. He revelled in responsibility. "Ted was unique in that, while all this was going on,he could still inject fun and humour into the game. A laugh, a joke, even in the heat of the moment.
"Ted was fiercely proud. Proud of his upbringing, proud of Braybrook, proud of Footscray, proud of Victoria. He was, and always will be, a symbol for the western suburbs."A Braybrook boy who never forgot his background, he never lost that common touch that made him relate to all. Ted loved life; he lived it to the fullest. Some would say he grabbed it by the throat and shook the hell out of it.
All of us are richer for having known him. His passing has left us the loser. Certainly there will never be another EJ. Nobody could possibly replace him. "To borrow a phrase from Tina Turner and rugby league - Edward James Whitten, simply the best.
"Played 321 games, Footscray, 1951 - 1970 Premiership 1954 Captain 14 years, 1957 - 1970 Coach 13 years, 1957 - 1966, 1969 - 1971 Club champion 5 times, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961 Club Leading Goal kicker 3 times, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968 Victorian representative player 29 times
Cause of death: Prostate Cancer
Ted died on August 17, 1995. The Western Oval became a shrine to the great man as news of his death spread throughout Melbourne. A huge painting of Ted became the focus for people as they brought flowers and other tributes to the Western Oval in Melbourne, Australia.Ted was accorded a State Funeral at St Patrick's Cathederal on August 22, 1995.
Two thousand fans packed into the Social Club at the Western Oval to watch a live broadcast of the funeral and pay their last repects to their champion. Thousands packed the streets and cheered as the funeral cortege wound through Footscray, past the Western Oval to the crematorium at Altona North.
The Eulogy at the Funeral was deivered by one of Ted Whitten's best mate Bob Skilton. "This country needs heroes like Ted Whitten and "Weary" Dunlop, inspirations to us all. "It is not often that you say goodbye to a man of such calibre. Truly a momentous occasion. Mr. Football - no name could evre have been more apt."For those who did not see him play, he was the greatest. As a player, a complete package. A fine athlete, wonderful skills, tough as nails, a fierce competitor, thriving on the thrill of the contest. The better the opposition, the more he loved it. He revelled in responsibility. "Ted was unique in that, while all this was going on,he could still inject fun and humour into the game. A laugh, a joke, even in the heat of the moment.
"Ted was fiercely proud. Proud of his upbringing, proud of Braybrook, proud of Footscray, proud of Victoria. He was, and always will be, a symbol for the western suburbs."A Braybrook boy who never forgot his background, he never lost that common touch that made him relate to all. Ted loved life; he lived it to the fullest. Some would say he grabbed it by the throat and shook the hell out of it.
All of us are richer for having known him. His passing has left us the loser. Certainly there will never be another EJ. Nobody could possibly replace him. "To borrow a phrase from Tina Turner and rugby league - Edward James Whitten, simply the best.
"Played 321 games, Footscray, 1951 - 1970 Premiership 1954 Captain 14 years, 1957 - 1970 Coach 13 years, 1957 - 1966, 1969 - 1971 Club champion 5 times, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961 Club Leading Goal kicker 3 times, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968 Victorian representative player 29 times
Cause of death: Prostate Cancer
Ted "Mr Football" Whitten was one of Australias A.F.L. Legendary Footballers.
Ted died on August 17, 1995. The Western Oval became a shrine to the great man as news of his death spread throughout Melbourne. A huge painting of Ted became the focus for people as they brought flowers and other tributes to the Western Oval in Melbourne, Australia.Ted was accorded a State Funeral at St Patrick's Cathederal on August 22, 1995.
Two thousand fans packed into the Social Club at the Western Oval to watch a live broadcast of the funeral and pay their last repects to their champion. Thousands packed the streets and cheered as the funeral cortege wound through Footscray, past the Western Oval to the crematorium at Altona North.
The Eulogy at the Funeral was deivered by one of Ted Whitten's best mate Bob Skilton. "This country needs heroes like Ted Whitten and "Weary" Dunlop, inspirations to us all. "It is not often that you say goodbye to a man of such calibre. Truly a momentous occasion. Mr. Football - no name could evre have been more apt."For those who did not see him play, he was the greatest. As a player, a complete package. A fine athlete, wonderful skills, tough as nails, a fierce competitor, thriving on the thrill of the contest. The better the opposition, the more he loved it. He revelled in responsibility. "Ted was unique in that, while all this was going on,he could still inject fun and humour into the game. A laugh, a joke, even in the heat of the moment.
"Ted was fiercely proud. Proud of his upbringing, proud of Braybrook, proud of Footscray, proud of Victoria. He was, and always will be, a symbol for the western suburbs."A Braybrook boy who never forgot his background, he never lost that common touch that made him relate to all. Ted loved life; he lived it to the fullest. Some would say he grabbed it by the throat and shook the hell out of it.
All of us are richer for having known him. His passing has left us the loser. Certainly there will never be another EJ. Nobody could possibly replace him. "To borrow a phrase from Tina Turner and rugby league - Edward James Whitten, simply the best.
"Played 321 games, Footscray, 1951 - 1970 Premiership 1954 Captain 14 years, 1957 - 1970 Coach 13 years, 1957 - 1966, 1969 - 1971 Club champion 5 times, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961 Club Leading Goal kicker 3 times, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968 Victorian representative player 29 times
Cause of death: Prostate Cancer
Ted died on August 17, 1995. The Western Oval became a shrine to the great man as news of his death spread throughout Melbourne. A huge painting of Ted became the focus for people as they brought flowers and other tributes to the Western Oval in Melbourne, Australia.Ted was accorded a State Funeral at St Patrick's Cathederal on August 22, 1995.
Two thousand fans packed into the Social Club at the Western Oval to watch a live broadcast of the funeral and pay their last repects to their champion. Thousands packed the streets and cheered as the funeral cortege wound through Footscray, past the Western Oval to the crematorium at Altona North.
The Eulogy at the Funeral was deivered by one of Ted Whitten's best mate Bob Skilton. "This country needs heroes like Ted Whitten and "Weary" Dunlop, inspirations to us all. "It is not often that you say goodbye to a man of such calibre. Truly a momentous occasion. Mr. Football - no name could evre have been more apt."For those who did not see him play, he was the greatest. As a player, a complete package. A fine athlete, wonderful skills, tough as nails, a fierce competitor, thriving on the thrill of the contest. The better the opposition, the more he loved it. He revelled in responsibility. "Ted was unique in that, while all this was going on,he could still inject fun and humour into the game. A laugh, a joke, even in the heat of the moment.
"Ted was fiercely proud. Proud of his upbringing, proud of Braybrook, proud of Footscray, proud of Victoria. He was, and always will be, a symbol for the western suburbs."A Braybrook boy who never forgot his background, he never lost that common touch that made him relate to all. Ted loved life; he lived it to the fullest. Some would say he grabbed it by the throat and shook the hell out of it.
All of us are richer for having known him. His passing has left us the loser. Certainly there will never be another EJ. Nobody could possibly replace him. "To borrow a phrase from Tina Turner and rugby league - Edward James Whitten, simply the best.
"Played 321 games, Footscray, 1951 - 1970 Premiership 1954 Captain 14 years, 1957 - 1970 Coach 13 years, 1957 - 1966, 1969 - 1971 Club champion 5 times, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961 Club Leading Goal kicker 3 times, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1968 Victorian representative player 29 times
Cause of death: Prostate Cancer
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