Henry Whitfield (9 May 1908 - 14 September 1988) was a British motorcycle speedway rider who went on to manage Middlesbrough Bears.
[1] Originally from Middlesbrough, Whitfield was one of the top British riders of the early 1930s, riding for Wembley Lions[2] and also for the England national team, competing in the Test series against Australia in 1931.
[5] Whitfield had earlier won the first qualifying round for the 1933 Final at the Claremont Speedway in Perth, Western Australia on 3 December 1932.
During World War II, while serving with the Royal Air Force in North Africa, he created makeshift tracks in the desert with petrol tins as crash barriers and organised racing with dispatch riders.
[6] After the war, Whitfield became manager of the Middlesbrough Bears, leading them to the Northern League title in 1946.