Clive Whitehead, signed from Portsmouth, played thirty-eight times during Exeter City’s 1990 Division Four championship season. Having chiefly played for Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion, Clive’s time with the Grecians brought down the curtain on a 500-game Football League career. 

Having played for Northfield Juniors, Clive joined Bristol City as a seventeen-year-old apprentice in March 1973 having previously had an unsuccessful trial with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Turning professional a few months later, he embarked on a 229-match league career with the Ashton Gate club during which time he scored twenty league goals and appeared for the club in the top-flight. After eight years Clive returned to the Midlands when he joined West Bromwich Albion in November 1981 for a fee of £100,000. Appearing in 168 league games for the Albion, and also playing twice for Wolves when on loan, he moved to Portsmouth in in July 1987 where he featured in 65 league games. 

Now aged thirty-three, Clive arrived at St James’ Park in July 1989 as player-coach alongside Terry Cooper who he had originally encountered at Bristol City. Making his debut against Doncaster Rovers on 19 August 1989, Clive proved to be an inspirational figure - with his strong tackling and precise distribution of the ball - during City’s 1989/90 Division Four championship-winning season when he started 36 league games, twice came on as substitute and contributed five goals. 

Adding just eight league appearances at the start of City’s first term in the third-tier, Clive moved to Yeovil Town as player-manager in October 1990 but was only in post until April 1991. He then worked as an academy coach with Bristol City and became a football agent and referee assessor before later working as a qualified financial adviser based in North Somerset.