Jimmy Whitehouse Scored 101 goals for United in 205 appearances that spanned 6 seasons between 1951 and 1957.

A regular and consistent goal scorer, Jimmy made the job of inside forward look easy, forging great understandings with the likes of Ashman and Broadis. His contribution to the overall pattern of play was immense, and he became an ever present during his time here.

Born in West Bromwich on the 19th September 1924, Jimmy had to wait for his chance to break in to football. World events of the early 1940's made football a second priority. His chance came with a trial at West Brom, which led to an amateur contract. He eventually signed professional forms in May 1948, aged 24, but couldn't quite make it in to The Baggies first team squad. After a frustrating first fully professional season he moved on to Walsall in June 1949, where he impressed everyone. Rochdale signed him for £750 in July 1950, but the team struggled, and Jimmy was persuaded to join United in October 1951 by manager Fred Emery. A fee of £3,500 changed hands.

Jimmy became a legend in his stay here. A strong, determined and single minded player, he added an edge of excitement in attack that had previously been missing. In just 24 appearances in the 1951/52 season he scored 11 goals and helped United to seventh spot in Division Three North. The 1952/53 season became Jimmy's most successful at the club. He netted 29 goals in his 45 games and missed just two matches through injury all season. His net busting antics included 5 against Scunthorpe on 25th December 1952. The game ended with United winning 8-0, still the club's record home win to this day. Just two weeks later he was it again. United beat Rochdale 5-0 on 10th January 1953, with Jimmy getting four of them. He was elevated from, 'ooh, he's a good player', to legend status within a matter of weeks. Despite the 82 goals the club scored that season they could only manage a disappointing ninth spot finish.

Jimmy played all 47 games of the 1953/54 season, bringing him another 22 goals. This included another 5-0 home win, this time against Halifax on 16th April 1954, in which Whitehouse scored 4 goals. Unsurprisingly, he also got man of the match that day. Yet again, the teams goal scoring was matched by its ability to let them in and they had to battle their way to a thirteenth spot finish. Having said this, the football played by the likes of Whitehouse, Ashman, Atkinson and Bond was nothing short of breathtaking, and it was very rarely that the crowd left Brunton Park not having been entertained.

Another 47 games in 1954/55 were to be Jimmy's last full season. He scored 25 goals, one of which was his only cup goal for Carlisle, scored in a 2-2 home draw with Watford in the second round of the FA Cup. He was, without doubt, a massive crowd favourite by now. The answer to the question of, 'Who scored?' was always - 'Good old Mr Reliable.' Unfortunately, Carlisle as a team were really struggling by now, and they finished 20th in Division Three North, just 3 points clear of the dreaded bottom spot.

1955/56 was a mixed one for Jimmy. He picked up a niggling knee injury early in the season and missed nearly the whole of September. He went on to make 37 appearances but appeared to lack the pace and speed of turn of previous years, and scored only 13 goals which, by his standards, was disappointing. His worst fears were confirmed as he struggled to gain fitness throughout the 1956/57 pre-season, and his knee condition worsened. Appearances were sporadic and it was obvious that he was not finding things easy. He played 5 more games, scoring his last goal for the club in a 2-2 draw at Boundary Park, Oldham, on the 15th December 1956. His last game for the club was to be on boxing day 1956, at Holker Street. Treatment and physiotherapy for the next five months made little difference and Jimmy retired from professional football aged 32 in May 1957. He remained in Carlisle, working for local firms, and took early retirement in 1987.