[1] 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.
[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.