Whiteley grew up during the Second World War in Hull; his house was hit by the biggest bomb to land in Hull during the war. He attended Gordon Street Junior School and Scarborough Street School for Boys. He left school at 14. At age 15, he joined Boulevard Police Boys' Club and was made prop. Shortly afterwards he moved to Hull Boys' Club and played for the Hull under-16 representative team. At the age of 18, Johnny joined the Military Police, 14 months of which were spent in Vienna, Austria.
Playing career
He signed for Hull F.C. in 1950 for free. Rather than offering Johnny a signing-on fee he was promised a place in the squad the following game. He played 15 seasons for Hull making 417 appearances and scoring 156 tries and 2 goals for at total of 472 points. In his time with Hull, he was never dropped. Johnny Whiteley was selected for Great Britain squad while at Hull for the 1954 Rugby League World Cup in France. However he did not participate in any of the four matches, with Dave Valentine playing as in all four matches. He captained Hull from 1956 and that year the side won the league championship when Colin Hutton kicked a last-minute penalty in the final against Halifax at Maine Road, Manchester. Hull won the European Club championship in 1957. Johnny Whiteley represented the Rest of the World in the 11–20 defeat by Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on 29 June 1957. Johnny was a member of the 1958 Great Britain touring squad that retained the Ashes, and he scored a try in the 40–17 third Test success in Sydney. In 1958 Hull won the play-offs again, against Workington Town. They lost in the Challenge Cup Final to Wigan at Wembley in 1959. Whiteley was a member of the last Great Britain team to beat Australia on home soil in the 1959 test series, scoring the try that beat the Aussies that year. Again Hull reached the Challenge Cup Final 1960 as runners up to winners Wakefield Trinity. He scored a match-winning try against the Aussies in the last few minutes which gave Great Britain the 1960 Ashes. He was a member of the 1962 Great Britain team which won the Ashes in Australia.
Challenge Cup Final appearances
Johnny Whiteley played, and was captain in Hull FC's 13–30 defeat by Wigan in the 1958–59 Challenge Cup Final during the 1958–59 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 9 May 1959, in front of a crowd of 79,811, and played, and was captain in the 5–38 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1960 Challenge Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773. Whiteley became player coach in October 1963.
Coaching career
Whiteley carried on coaching at Hull after his last appearance as a player. When Roy Francis retired as Hull coach in 1965, Whiteley, now himself retired with an injured shoulder, took over, though he resigned in 1970. He then moved to Warrington on 6 February 1965 until the end of the 1969/70 season. Whiteley moved across the river to Hull Kingston Rovers as coach in 1970 and stayed until 1972 when he was sacked. He coached the G.B. squad that toured Australia in 1970 and they were the last to win the Ashes in Australia. He left Hull on his return to coach Hull Kingston Rovers until leaving them in 1972. He then carried on coaching the Yorkshire origin side for 12 years. He was then recalled to coach Great Britain in 1980 for two years.
