Allan Clarke
ALLAN Clarke was one of the finest marksmen in The Football League during the period from 1963 to 1980. In those 17 years he rattled in no fewer than 275 goals for Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United, Barnsley and England, winning practically every domestic honour in the game whilst at Elland Road: League Championship in 1974; FA Cup winners 1972, runners-up 1970 and 1973; European Cup runners-up 1975; UEFA Cup winners 1971. He also played for Leicester City in the 1969 FA Cup Final.
Known affectionately as 'Sniffer' because of his ability to sniff out goalscoring opportunities, Clarke came to Fellows Park as a teenager on leaving school in 1962 and turned professional on August 12th 1963. He went to Craven Cottage for a then club record fee of £37,500 in March 1966, switching to Leicester for £150,000 in June 1968 and was transferred to Leeds for £166,000 two months after appearing in the FA Cup Final of 1969, ending up with a losers' medal after Neil Young's goal won the trophy for Manchester City, although Clarke was voted Man of the Match by the journalists present at Wembley.
Those last two transfers were both British records in terms of cash deals. He spent nine years at Elland Road, netting 151 goals in 364 games, before he rounded off his playing career at Barnsley whom he joined initially as a player in June 1978.
He took his League scoring record up to 223 goals before being appointed manager at Oakwell, but left the Tykes after two years, taking over as manager at his beloved Leeds (1980-82). He then had a good spell in charge of Scunthorpe United, leading the Irons to promotion from Division Four in 1983. He returned to Barnsley for a second spell as manager in July 1985, but lost his position there in 1989.
Clarke won 19 full caps and six Under-23 caps for England and played in the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico. On his Under-23 debut he scored four goals against Wales. His brothers Derek, Frank, Kelvin and Wayne, all played League football with Derek, Kelvin and Wayne each lining up for The Saddlers like Allan, who himself was voted Walsall's Player of the Year by the supporters in 1964/65, when he top-scored with 23 League goals. He finished top scorer again in 1965/66, bagging another 23 goals even though he was sold to Fulham in March.
Known affectionately as 'Sniffer' because of his ability to sniff out goalscoring opportunities, Clarke came to Fellows Park as a teenager on leaving school in 1962 and turned professional on August 12th 1963. He went to Craven Cottage for a then club record fee of £37,500 in March 1966, switching to Leicester for £150,000 in June 1968 and was transferred to Leeds for £166,000 two months after appearing in the FA Cup Final of 1969, ending up with a losers' medal after Neil Young's goal won the trophy for Manchester City, although Clarke was voted Man of the Match by the journalists present at Wembley.
Those last two transfers were both British records in terms of cash deals. He spent nine years at Elland Road, netting 151 goals in 364 games, before he rounded off his playing career at Barnsley whom he joined initially as a player in June 1978.
He took his League scoring record up to 223 goals before being appointed manager at Oakwell, but left the Tykes after two years, taking over as manager at his beloved Leeds (1980-82). He then had a good spell in charge of Scunthorpe United, leading the Irons to promotion from Division Four in 1983. He returned to Barnsley for a second spell as manager in July 1985, but lost his position there in 1989.
Clarke won 19 full caps and six Under-23 caps for England and played in the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico. On his Under-23 debut he scored four goals against Wales. His brothers Derek, Frank, Kelvin and Wayne, all played League football with Derek, Kelvin and Wayne each lining up for The Saddlers like Allan, who himself was voted Walsall's Player of the Year by the supporters in 1964/65, when he top-scored with 23 League goals. He finished top scorer again in 1965/66, bagging another 23 goals even though he was sold to Fulham in March.
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