Jamie Whisken set to retire at the end of the season
After an incredible career spanning 21 years and making 814 career appearances, at 38 years old, our outstanding captain Jamie Whisken has decided to announce his retirement from playing football, bringing an extraordinary non-league career to a close.
After beginning his career playing youth football at a young age with Littledown Juniors and Redhill Rangers in the Bournemouth Youth Leagues, ‘Whisk’ grew up playing with the likes of Adam Lallana at youth level, and the two remain good friends to this day.
All the way back in 2004, the skipper received a two-year apprenticeship with AFC Bournemouth where he went on to make one League Cup appearance for the Cherries as he came on as a late substitute against Wigan Athletic.
Whisken was released by AFC Bournemouth a few years later, he then joined Farnborough Town in the Conference South and made 38 appearances before the club went into administration.
The experienced central defender also made appearances at sides such as Basingstoke, Sutton United and Bognor Regis before signing for AFC Totton at the start of the 2009/10 campaign.
‘Whisk’ made 188 appearances for the Stags and played a huge part in their promotion to the Southern Premier Division as well as their two Hants senior Cup successes in 2010 and 2011.
He then made the decision to join Poole Town under the management of Tom Killick in 2013 and was made captain during his first season with the club.
Certainly no one could have expected the incredible impact that Whisken would go on to have for the club when he made his debut in a 2-1 win over St Albans at Tatnam Ground 13 years prior.
During his time with the Dolphins, he has witnessed the remarkable highs and lows of football in the non-league scene such as achieving promotion to the National League South in the 2015/16 season and then finishing 5th place the following season.
On the 15th January 2025, Whisken became the all time record appearance holder for the club, over-taking his former centre back partner Will Spetch with 492 appearances.
Not long after, on the 26th February, Whisken became the first ever Poole Town player to hit the 500 mark for the club, a truly incredible achievement.
The word ‘legend’ often gets thrown around in football, but there is no doubt that this man deserves that status for his commitment, longevity and loyalty to our football club.
Captain. Leader. Legend.
A message from our club captain:
“After 13 incredible years at Poole Town FC and 22 years in the game, the time has come for me to hang up my boots at the end of this season and say goodbye as a player and captain of this special club .
Pulling on the shirt 515 times (still counting) and becoming the club’s all-time appearance holder is something I could only have dreamed of when I first walked through the door. To have had the honour of captaining the club for so long makes it even more special.
This club has been such a huge part of my life. Through all the highs, the challenges, the promotions we’ve earned and the cups we’ve lifted, I’ve given everything I have for the badge and it has given me memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Thank you to every teammate I’ve shared the pitch with, every manager and coach who trusted me, and every supporter who has stood by and sung for me week in, week out. Your backing has meant everything .
Some of my proudest and most emotional moments haven’t just been about football. Walking out onto the pitch with my two little boys, and sharing those final whistle fist pumps with them in front of our fans, are memories I’ll treasure forever.
Lastly, none of this would have been possible without the support of my family. Their sacrifices, encouragement and belief in me every step of the way have meant more than words can say.
Poole Town FC will always be my club. This isn’t goodbye, it’s just the end of a chapter.
I’ll do everything I can to make sure I leave this club on a high, so let’s go and finish this season the right way.”
– Jamie Whisken