Bill Clarke (footballer born 1916)
Encyclopedia
William Harry "Bill" Clarke (born 1916) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for Exeter City
and Southampton
in the 1930s.
and after playing youth football with Leicester Nomads, he signed for Leicester City
in February 1936.
Although he was included in City's team photograph at the start of the 1936–37 season, Clarke failed to break into the first-team and in the following summer he moved to join Exeter City
of the Football League Third Division South
.
At St James Park, Clarke was back-up to Fred Liddle
, making twelve League and two FA Cup
appearances, scoring once, before moving along the south coast in July 1938 to join Second Division
Southampton
.
At The Dell, Clarke was again only a reserve-team player and it was not until 15 April 1939 that he made his first-team debut, in a 3–0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers
. His second and last appearance came in the final fixture of the 1938–39 season, away to Plymouth Argyle
.
In the summer of 1939, Clarke was offered a free transfer but failed to find another club before the outbreak of the Second World War brought his professional football career to an end.
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
and Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the 1930s.
Football career
Clarke was born in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
and after playing youth football with Leicester Nomads, he signed for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
in February 1936.
Although he was included in City's team photograph at the start of the 1936–37 season, Clarke failed to break into the first-team and in the following summer he moved to join Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
of the Football League Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
.
At St James Park, Clarke was back-up to Fred Liddle
Fred Liddle
James Frederick "Fred" Liddle was an English professional association football player. He played for Queens Park Rangers, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United, Newcastle United, Gillingham, Coventry City and Exeter City between 1927 and 1939.-References:...
, making twelve League and two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
appearances, scoring once, before moving along the south coast in July 1938 to join Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
.
At The Dell, Clarke was again only a reserve-team player and it was not until 15 April 1939 that he made his first-team debut, in a 3–0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. His second and last appearance came in the final fixture of the 1938–39 season, away to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
.
In the summer of 1939, Clarke was offered a free transfer but failed to find another club before the outbreak of the Second World War brought his professional football career to an end.