Bobby Whitehead

For other people named Robert Whitehead, see Robert Whitehead (disambiguation).
Bobby Whitehead
Personal information
Full nameRobert Whitehead[1]
Date of birth22 September 1936[2]
Place of birthAshington, Northumberland,[2] England
Playing positionRight back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Fatfield Athletic
1954–1960Newcastle United20(0)
1960–1962Cambridge City
1962–1964Darlington53(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Robert Whitehead (born 22 September 1936), known as Bob or Bobby Whitehead, is an English former footballer who made 73 appearances in the Football League playing as a right back for Newcastle United and Darlington in the 1950s and 1960s. He also played in the Southern League for Cambridge City.[1]

Football career

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 qickly 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

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Bobby Whitehead". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Player details: Robert Whitehead". Toon1892. Kenneth Scott. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  4. "Four League matches postponed because of influenza". Manchester Guardian. 28 September 1957. p. 6.
  5. Amos, Mike (8 November 2001). "Tough-tackling Henderson". The Northern Echo (Middlesbrough). p. 24 via Newsbank.