Whitehead was born in Ashington, Northumberland,[2] and played for local club Fatfield Athletic before turning professional with Newcastle United in December 1954.[1] He made his first-team debut on 28 September 1957 in the First Division match against Burnley, during an influenza epidemic, and played twice more in December 1958.[3][4] He had a run of games at the end of the 1958–59 season and the start of the next, but his 20th appearance, on 26 December 1959 in a draw with Chelsea, was his last senior match for the club.[3]
He spent time with Southern League club Cambridge City, before returning to the Football League with Darlington of the Fourth Division in 1962.[1] He quickly established himself in the first team, partnering the long-serving Brian Henderson at full back. On 4 January 1964, he was making his 53rd league appearance for the club, at home to Stockport County, when he was stretchered off the field with a broken leg. Within minutes, the same thing happened to Henderson. Neither man played professionally again.[5]
References
^ abcdHugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 576. ISBN978-1-85291-585-8.
^ abc"Bobby Whitehead". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 2 December 2014.