After winning the 1985 English Amateur Championship by defeating Jim McNellan 13–3 in the final, he played professionally from 1986 to 1992.

[3] Aged 15, he recorded a 3–1 win over 1979 World Champion Terry Griffiths at the Warners Holidays tournament in 1980.

[4] Whitthread was regarded as an outstanding prospect, but did not achieve the level of success that was predicted.

[6] At the 1985 IBSF World Snooker Championship Whitthread finished second behind McNellan in their round-robin qualifying group, and then lost 2–5 in the quarter-finals to the eventual champion Paul Mifsud.

[7] He turned professional in 1986,[3] recording one match win (other than a walkover) in seven tournaments in his debut season, a 5–1 defeat of Dennis Hughes in the first round of qualifying for the 1987 British Open.