FORMER Bradford Park Avenue winger Colin Whitaker has died aged 82.

Leeds-born Whitaker, who played for Farsley Celtic and Leeds United juniors, was an amateur with Bradford City before he signed professional forms with Sheffield Wednesday in 1951.

Avenue boss Norman Kirkman recruited him in the summer of 1953, remaining for three seasons and making 49 appearances while scoring 12 goals.

Whitaker left Avenue at the end of the disastrous 1955-56 season, when the club had to reapply for election to the Football League. That close-season saw the biggest post-war departure of players from Avenue.

Whitaker later played for Shrewsbury, QPR, Rochdale, Oldham and Barrow before dropping into non-League football.

He was also a useful cricketer and appeared for Shropshire in the Minor Counties League and Pudsey St Lawrence in the Bradford League.