Roy Clarke (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Royston James Clarke | ||
Date of birth | 1 June 1925 | ||
Place of birth |
Newport , Wales | ||
Date of death | 13 March 2006 | (aged 80)||
Place of death | Sale, England | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Youth career | |||
–1942 | Albion Rovers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1942–1947 | Cardiff City | 39 | (11) |
1947–1958 | Manchester City | 349 | (73) |
1958–1959 | Stockport County | 25 | (5) |
International career | |||
1948–1956 | Wales | 22 | (5) |
Managerial career | |||
1963–1964 | Northwich Victoria | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Royston James Clarke (1 June 1925 – 13 March 2006) was a Welsh footballer who played for Cardiff City, Manchester City, Stockport County and Wales as a winger.
An outstanding schoolboy sportsman, Clarke became a miner during the
Clarke was a Manchester City regular for the next decade, making 349 league appearances. He was part of the Manchester City team which reached consecutive FA Cup finals in the 1950s, winning in 1956. In 1958 Clarke moved to Stockport County, and later had a spell as manager of Northwich Victoria. After retiring from football he ran a sports shop, and subsequently returned to Manchester City, where he ran the social club for nearly 25 years. He died in 2006, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease.
Career
Roy Clarke was born in
Clarke played as an outside-left for
In the
Manchester City reached the
By the 1957–58 season injuries had taken their toll upon Clarke and first team appearances were sparse, though he became one of the first players to gain from a new benefit; upon completing ten years' service for the club he was given a cheque for £1,000.[6] After a pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund, which Clarke had played despite carrying a knee injury, manager Les McDowall informed him that he would soon be made available for transfer,[12] but an injury to Jack Dyson meant Clarke was retained for one more season.[13] He made seven appearances in his final season at the club, the last in a 5–1 FA Cup defeat to West Bromwich Albion, in which he played centre-forward instead of his customary position on the wing.[14] In total he played 349 league matches for Manchester City, scoring 73 goals. He had a brief spell as assistant coach in the latter part of his Maine Road career, but stepped down from the position to allow his former teammate Jimmy Meadows to take the position instead.[15] In September 1958 he moved to Stockport County for £1,500,[15] where he played 25 league matches, scoring 5 goals. He also won 22 full international caps for Wales.[16]
Non-playing career
He later managed Northwich Victoria for a brief period, before returning to Manchester, where he opened a sports shop in Fallowfield. Through his friendship with Bert Trautmann he gained a contract to become the first Adidas merchant in the area,[17] but the shop closed a few years later as Clarke wished to concentrate upon activities at Manchester City. Clarke became the manager of the Manchester City social club in 1966; he and his wife Kathleen ran the social club together for nearly 25 years.[1] The social club was open seven days a week, providing an opportunity for players, management and supporters to form closer bonds.[18] It received praise in Arthur Hopcraft's 1968 book The Football Man, for providing a counterpoint to football clubs who "largely ignored [their fans] except when they were inside the ground".[18] During his time at the social club Clarke was a founder of two other Manchester City organisations: the Development Association, which acts as a fund for ground improvements and youth development, and the Former Players' Association, which was co-founded with Paddy Fagan and Roy Little,[15] Clarke serving as secretary.[19] In 2004, he was inducted into the Manchester City Hall of Fame, receiving a lifetime achievement award. Towards the end of his life he suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and died on 13 March 2006, leaving a wife and three daughters.[20]
Honours
As a player
- FA Cup winner 1956
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85983-512-0.
- ^ ISBN 0-600-61282-1.
- ISBN 1-85158-710-1.
- ^ "Roy Clarke". London: The Independent. 15 March 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-7475-4813-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-907969-05-4.
- ISBN 1-84018-687-9.
- ^ Ward, The Manchester City Story, p46
- ISBN 1-85983-491-4.
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p 125
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, p 122
- ^ Rowlands, Trautmann: The Biography, p197
- ^ Rowlands, Trautmann: The Biography, p201
- ISBN 978-0-9557056-0-1.
- ^ a b c James, The Official Manchester City Hall of Fame, p150
- ^ Brandon, Derek (1978). A–Z of Manchester Football: 100 Years of Rivalry. London: Boondoggle. p. 38.
- ^ Rowlands, Trautmann: The Biography, p190
- ^ ISBN 1-84513-141-X.
- ^ "City legend dies". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
- ^ "Stuart Pearce tribute to ex-City great Clarke". South Wales Argus. Archived from the original on 17 June 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2008.