John Wark
Encyclopedia
John Wark is a Scottish
former footballer
who spent most of his playing time with Ipswich Town
. He won a record four Player of the Year awards before becoming one of the four inaugural members of the club's Hall of Fame
. Wark had long spells at the club, which bookended his career, and a third, brief interlude dividing his briefer periods at Liverpool
and Middlesbrough
. A versatile player, Wark played most of his professional games as a midfield
er, although he sometimes played as a central defender and on occasion as a striker.
Born in Glasgow
, Wark represented Scotland
in international football, winning 29 caps and scoring seven goals. This included selection for Scotland in the 1982 FIFA World Cup
in which he made three appearances and scored twice.
During his playing career, Wark appeared in the film Escape to Victory
. Since retiring as a professional player in 1996, he has continued to work for Ipswich Town—since April 2009 in the corporate hospitality department. His autobiography, Wark On, was published in 2009.
to parents Alex and Helen. The third of four children, he has an older sister Wilma, older brother Alex and younger brother Andrew. The family lived in a four-storey tenement block in Partick
. The family was impoverished: Wark's parents could not afford a cot and as a small child, he slept in a drawer from a sideboard. Although christened
John, Wark was soon referred to by his family as Johnny, a diminutive which stuck throughout his footballing career.
In the early 1960s, the family moved to another tenement block, this time in Scotstoun
, and Wark's father secured employment at nearby Albion Motors
. The new home accommodated a back yard in which Wark played football from the age of six. He said "[f]ootball seemed to occupy 99 per cent of my time as a youngster" as he tried to emulate his brother Alex, who had become a professional at St. Mirren
. Wark attended Scotstoun Primary School
, where he became captain of the football team. On moving to secondary school, he was selected for the Glasgow Schools representative team. He also played for Drumchapel Amateurs
at the under-14 level, where he was, for a period, managed by David Moyes
' father, also named David.
During Wark's time at Drumchapel, he attracted the attention of Celtic
. He trained with the club at their Parkhead
ground, before receiving an invitation to sign schoolboy forms for the club. As a lifelong Rangers
fan (with whom Celtic have a notable rivalry) and with interest from "several English clubs", including Bristol City
, Manchester City
and Ipswich Town
, Wark stalled on the offer. He trialled with both Ipswich Town and Manchester City, and selected Ipswich when the latter remained non-committal. On arrival at Portman Road
, Town manager Bobby Robson
, later described by Wark as the person in football "who had the single biggest influence on [him]", personally welcomed him and Wark signed with the club as an apprentice.
Wark started his career at Ipswich in the youth team, initially playing at left back before moving to the centre of defence and occasionally occupying the right back
position. He signed up as a professional for the club on his 17th birthday. Selected for the senior squad as a replacement for the injured Kevin Beattie
, Wark made his first-team debut on 27 March 1975 in the 3–2 FA Cup
6th round (3rd replay) victory over Leeds United
; the game was played at Leicester City's
Filbert Street
. A nervous and homesick Wark was reassured by manager Robson:
Making four more first-team appearances in place of injured regulars, Wark ended the season still on the youth team, and experienced success in the final of the FA Youth Cup
, defeating West Ham United
5–1. He spent much of the 1975–76 season playing for the reserves, and was presented with the club's Young Player of the Year award, despite making just four appearances for the senior team. Moving into midfield
, Wark made over 30 appearances in the 1976–77 season, scoring his first goals for the club, (10, in all) taking over penalty kick
ing duty; he also received his first red card.
In the June of 1977, Wark was selected for the Scotland squad
for the first time, for a friendly match against East Germany
; however, a torn hamstring sustained in pre-season training ended any chance of an international debut. The injury also kept him out of first-team football until January 1978, when he returned for a match against Cardiff City
in the third round of the 1977–78 FA Cup
.
Indifferent league performances that season meant that Ipswich finished just three points above the relegation zone
, but the season ended in success in the FA Cup
. Wark scored in a 3–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion
in the semi-final, and appeared in the final
at Wembley as part of a side that surprised favourites Arsenal
, winning the game 1–0. Wark remarked, "We were underdogs but on the day we hammered them." Wark did not touch the ball for the first 18 minutes of the match, and as the players left the pitch at half-time, David Geddis
said to Wark, "Make sure you hit it between the posts in the second-half. Avoid the white bits." In the second half of the game, Wark "ignored Geddis' advice and hit Pat Jennings
' right post twice with almost identical swerving right-foot shots from outside the penalty area".
Twice in the three seasons that followed, Ipswich came within one game of winning the League championship
, but finished as runners-up to Liverpool and Aston Villa
, respectively. However, Ipswich did win the club's only European trophy
when they lifted the UEFA Cup
in 1981. Wark set a competition record by scoring 14 goals—including two, one in each leg—in the final
as Ipswich overcame Dutch
side AZ 67 Alkmaar 5–4 on aggregate. Wark's record equalled the long-standing scoring record in a European competition, set by Jose Altafini
of A.C. Milan
in the 1962–63 European Cup. Wark's personal triumph that year was to win a European accolade, Young Player of the Year, and gain the acclaim of his fellow professionals in England to earn the PFA Player of the Year
award. He ended the 1980–81 season with 36 goals.
Wark continued to play for Ipswich, but after Robson left to become England manager
in 1982, the side was gradually broken up by new manager Bobby Ferguson. Following a rejected demand for a wage increase, Wark submitted a transfer request, which was accepted. He signed for Liverpool
for £450,000 on 10 March 1984, seen as one of three replacements for Graeme Souness
, who was leaving to play for Sampdoria
in Italy that summer. At the time, Liverpool had won the league title six times, the European Cup three times and the League Cup three times in the preceding eight seasons.
1982–83
, his final full season at Portman Road
, had seen him record the highest league goals tally of his career. He scored 20 goals in 42 league games, though it was not enough to prevent Ipswich from slipping to ninth place in the final table – their lowest position since finishing 18th in 1978.
Wark made his debut for the club on 31 March 1984 in a 2–0 league win against Watford
at Vicarage Road
, and scored Liverpool's opening goal in the 58th minute. Liverpool won the English league title that season, and Wark made sufficient appearances to earn himself a medal. His unusual ability as a goalscoring midfielder was on display when he finished the 1984–85 season
as the club's top goalscorer, ahead of prolific striker Ian Rush
, with a tally of 27 goals in 62 appearances—a goal every 2.3 games. Wark's season included three hat-trick
s, one each in the League, the FA Cup and the European Cup. Liverpool qualified for the 1985 European Cup Final
but the match was overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium Disaster
, a tragedy Wark remembers as "a nightmare memory".
In the 1985–86 season, Wark made 18 appearances, scoring six times, but missed out on the club's run-in to their League and FA Cup "double", due to a broken ankle suffered just after the turn of 1986, followed by an Achilles tendon
injury. He eventually regained his fitness but struggled to regain his place in the Liverpool team until injury to Steve McMahon
allowed him back in. Wark came on as a late substitute (but according to him, never touched the ball) when Liverpool lost the 1987 League Cup Final
to Arsenal. No longer a part of manager Kenny Dalglish
's plans following the arrival of new midfielders including John Barnes
, Wark was sold back to Ipswich on 4 January 1988 for £100,000. In spite of more financially lucrative offers from both Watford and Coventry City
, he followed Bobby Robson's advice: "Money isn't everything—go where you will be happiest." Wark left the Merseyside
club with a record of 42 goals in 108 appearances, a goal every 2.6 games.
and Jason Dozzell
.
Following three seasons of mid-table finishes, manager John Duncan
was sacked and replaced by John Lyall
. With his contract expiring, Wark received what he considered to be a "derisory" offer from Lyall, which he declined. Once he became a free agent
, Wark signed on a free transfer for Second Division rivals Middlesbrough
in August 1990. In his two additional seasons with Ipswich, Wark had scored 20 goals, and won the club's Player of the Year award in both seasons.
. Following a 1–1 draw with Notts County
at Ayresome Park
, Wark was informed by manager Colin Todd
that he would not be selected for the second leg. Wark was outraged; Middlesbrough lost the second leg 1–0. Todd departed from the club and was replaced by Lennie Lawrence
, who insisted that all players live "within an hour of Ayresome Park". Wark was still living in Ipswich at the time and following a "sensible agreement" with Lawrence, Wark's contract was terminated and he became a free agent again.
, Colchester United
and Falkirk
. When Ipswich suffered a succession of injuries among their defenders, they offered him a contract, initially on a week-by-week basis, before securing a year-long deal. Wark made 43 appearances in the first season of his third spell with the club. Early results in the season were excellent; the club won seven of their first 11 matches in the league. In the FA Cup, Ipswich progressed to a fifth round encounter against Liverpool; when the tie went to a replay at Anfield
, Wark received a standing ovation from both sets of fans. Ipswich lost the match, and their league form subsided somewhat thereafter, but they were still crowned Second Division champions and were promoted into the newly formed Premier League. Wark ended the season as the club's Player of the Year for the third time.
Wark agreed to a new one-year contract for the 1992–93 season and was asked to feature in a Sky Sports
advertisement to promote the inaugural Premier League competition. Ipswich were the only Premier League club to remain unbeaten after eight games (a sequence that included Wark's first Premier League goal in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
). Ipswich went fourth in February and there was talk of finally winning that title that had eluded them more than once during Wark's first spell there, but 13 consecutive games without a win resulted a 16th place finish in the table, just three points above the relegation zone, and only a win on the final day of the season made sure of their survival. Wark, now aged 37, secured yet another one-year contract shortly before the end of the 1993–94 season. Ipswich were saved from relegation in the last round of matches (for the second season running, another good start had given way to a late season slump), courtesy of an injury time winning goal scored by Mark Stein of Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge
, which ensured that Ipswich's fellow strugglers Sheffield United
went down. Wark went on to be voted the club's Player of the Year for a record fourth time.
Ipswich and Wark fared worse in the 1994–95 season. The club lost 9–0 to Manchester United
during a season in which Ipswich "recorded fewer victories and suffered more defeats than in any campaign in the club's history". He was sent off in the away game at Norwich, where the team lost 3–0. Wark made fewer than 20 appearances in the following season, primarily because of a persistent foot injury. Despite his appearance in three more matches in the 1996–97 season, and a testimonial
against Arsenal
at Portman Road, Wark played his last professional match against Tranmere Rovers
on 30 November 1996 at the age of 39. By this stage, he was the club's oldest player. Of a total 826 league matches played by Wark as a professional, he made 679 appearances for Ipswich. , he is Ipswich Town's third-highest all-time scorer, with 179 goals scored for the club, despite rarely appearing as a striker.
and scoring seven goals. Jock Stein
was the Scotland manager who gave him his debut, in a game held on 19 May 1979, a British Home Championship
match against Wales
at Ninian Park
; Scotland lost 3–0. Wark scored his first international goal a week later on 26 May, again in a British Home Championship game, this time against England
at Wembley. Wark's opening effort was not enough, as Scotland were defeated 3–1.
After a 3–1 home defeat by Belgium in December 1979, Wark was not selected again for his country until February 1981 for the 1982 World Cup
qualifying match away against Israel
. Following a successful qualification campaign, Wark was included in the Scotland squad that went to the World Cup in Spain under Stein's leadership. Wark played three games and scored two goals, both of which were in a single match against New Zealand, a game Scotland won 5–2. Scotland were knocked out in the group stage.
Wark's final appearance for Scotland came in September 1984, under Stein; he was replaced in favour of Paul McStay
at half-time in a 6–1 victory over Yugoslavia
.
in April 2009. They reside in Onehouse
near Stowmarket
in Suffolk
.
and Pelé
in the Second World War
football film Escape to Victory
, which starred Sylvester Stallone
, Michael Caine
and Max von Sydow
. Wark played a character called Arthur Hayes, but his only line had to be dubbed due to his broad Glaswegian accent.
, Roger Osborne
and Mick Lambert
. Wark told local radio station Heart
that "after my retirement from football I made a conscious decision to stay in Ipswich, as it has been my hometown for a major part of my life." Despite his retirement from the professional ranks, Wark continued playing football as an amateur, and signed for Woodbridge Town
in 1999 alongside former Ipswich team-mate Paul Mason
. He also played veterans football for Windsor and Eton, played with Soccer AM
's Badgers team at the Millennium Stadium
, and has represented the Liverpool veterans in the Sky Sports Masters
series.
In 2005, Wark was voted as the BBC
television programme Football Focus
"all-time cult hero" by Ipswich Town fans. In 2008 Radio Suffolk announced that he would join their commentary team as a summariser, alongside former team-mates Kevin Beattie
and Bryan Hamilton
. As of April 2009, he works in the corporate hospitality department at Ipswich Town.
tickets for the FA Cup Final to a shady underworld ticket tout". "Wark used his share of the cash to help pay for his wedding while a team-mate bankrolled a house extension. He added: "Other teams had done it, so why shouldn’t we? Nowadays it’s illegal but in those days it was regarded as a perk." The report also highlighted Wark's "dig" at the current "crop of stars" at Anfield. He said: "None of that lot would have been good enough in my time at Anfield."
, this was because his colleagues would drop back to cover for him: "I played with John Wark, who was a sitting midfielder but was one of the top scorers in England and Europe. If you see it, then do it, as long as the others spot it and cover for you."
Wark was not a "supremely talented" player, but, according to football journalist Jim White
, one who espoused team-work and team spirit: "There is no question that the 'one-for-all, all-for-one' mentality generated in the Anfield dressing room was the engine that drove the great team. With players such as Alan Kennedy
, John Wark, Sammy Lee
and Craig Johnston
, nobody could claim this was a collection of top-notch operators in the manner, say, of the current Real Madrid
. Every week, they played as an entity greater than the sum of its parts." He has been described as "a defensive midfielder with an astonishing goalscoring record".
While playing, Wark retained the ability to be humorous and friendly even with the fiercest of rivals. Former Norwich City
goalkeeper, Bryan Gunn
, recalls one of his most "memorable derby
moments":
Wark remained modest and able to take a joke at his own expense, for example in this story recounted by former Scotland team mate, Gordon Strachan
:
Over the years, Wark has become closely associated with his moustache. Owen Slot described the player as "Ipswich's immortal moustache", while Wark himself notes "... it is something of a trademark, even if people are always calling me Bruce
..."
In 2007, the Professional Footballers Association polled fans of all Football League clubs, as to "their No 1 player" as part of the "centenary celebrations of the players' union"; Wark was the choice of Ipswich fans. In the same year, Wark was one of four Ipswich Town players to be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.
Runner up
Runner up
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who spent most of his playing time with Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. He won a record four Player of the Year awards before becoming one of the four inaugural members of the club's Hall of Fame
Ipswich Town F.C. Hall of Fame
This is a list of footballers who have been inducted into Ipswich Town's Hall of Fame. The inaugural members were selected in 2007 by a ballot of former Ipswich players.- Members :...
. Wark had long spells at the club, which bookended his career, and a third, brief interlude dividing his briefer periods at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. A versatile player, Wark played most of his professional games as a midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
er, although he sometimes played as a central defender and on occasion as a striker.
Born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Wark represented Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in international football, winning 29 caps and scoring seven goals. This included selection for Scotland in the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
in which he made three appearances and scored twice.
During his playing career, Wark appeared in the film Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory, known simply as Victory in North America, is a 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II...
. Since retiring as a professional player in 1996, he has continued to work for Ipswich Town—since April 2009 in the corporate hospitality department. His autobiography, Wark On, was published in 2009.
Early life
Wark was born on 4 August 1957, in Glasgow Royal Maternity HospitalGlasgow Royal Maternity Hospital
Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, was founded as the Glasgow Lying-in Hospital and Dispensary in 1834 in Greyfriars Wynd. It moved to St Andrews Square in 1841 then to Rottenrow in 1860...
to parents Alex and Helen. The third of four children, he has an older sister Wilma, older brother Alex and younger brother Andrew. The family lived in a four-storey tenement block in Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
. The family was impoverished: Wark's parents could not afford a cot and as a small child, he slept in a drawer from a sideboard. Although christened
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
John, Wark was soon referred to by his family as Johnny, a diminutive which stuck throughout his footballing career.
In the early 1960s, the family moved to another tenement block, this time in Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...
, and Wark's father secured employment at nearby Albion Motors
Albion Motors
Albion Automotive of Scotstoun, Glasgow is a former Scottish automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, currently involved in the manufacture and supply of Automotive component systems....
. The new home accommodated a back yard in which Wark played football from the age of six. He said "[f]ootball seemed to occupy 99 per cent of my time as a youngster" as he tried to emulate his brother Alex, who had become a professional at St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
. Wark attended Scotstoun Primary School
Scotstoun Primary School
Scotstoun Primary School is a primary school built by in 1905 on Earlbank Avenue. The building differs from those built by the in many respects, notably in the inclusion of its distinctive towers...
, where he became captain of the football team. On moving to secondary school, he was selected for the Glasgow Schools representative team. He also played for Drumchapel Amateurs
Drumchapel Amateur F.C.
Drumchapel Amateur Football Club are a football club from the village of Duntocher, near Clydebank in Scotland. Formed in 1950 in the Drumchapel area of the city of Glasgow, they are nicknamed "The Drum". The club presently competes in the Central Scottish Amateur League and is viewed as one of the...
at the under-14 level, where he was, for a period, managed by David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
' father, also named David.
During Wark's time at Drumchapel, he attracted the attention of Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. He trained with the club at their Parkhead
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
ground, before receiving an invitation to sign schoolboy forms for the club. As a lifelong Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
fan (with whom Celtic have a notable rivalry) and with interest from "several English clubs", including Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, Wark stalled on the offer. He trialled with both Ipswich Town and Manchester City, and selected Ipswich when the latter remained non-committal. On arrival at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
, Town manager Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
, later described by Wark as the person in football "who had the single biggest influence on [him]", personally welcomed him and Wark signed with the club as an apprentice.
First spell at Ipswich
Right Back
-Guest Artists:This album features many additional artists, including:* Barrington Levy, performing on "Righteous Dub" & "Saw Red"* H.R., performing on "New Sun"* Dangr, performing on "Kick Down"* Tippa Irie, performing on "Sensi"...
position. He signed up as a professional for the club on his 17th birthday. Selected for the senior squad as a replacement for the injured Kevin Beattie
Kevin Beattie
Kevin Beattie is an English former footballer, playing at central defence for both Ipswich Town and England in the 1970s and early 1980s.- Through the ranks :...
, Wark made his first-team debut on 27 March 1975 in the 3–2 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...
6th round (3rd replay) victory over Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
; the game was played at Leicester City's
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...
Filbert Street
Filbert Street
Filbert Street, in Leicester, England, was a football stadium, and the home of Leicester City from 1891 to 2002. Although officially titled "The City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address, like many English football stadia.- Early years :The club,...
. A nervous and homesick Wark was reassured by manager Robson:
"My debut was in the quarter-final of the FA Cup against the Leeds team of GilesJohnny GilesMichael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...
and BremnerBilly BremnerWilliam John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
. He [Robson] said, 'I wouldn't put you in the team if I didn't think you were good enough'. He was a father figure as well because I was homesick. If it hadn't been for the boss I would have been straight back to Glasgow."
Making four more first-team appearances in place of injured regulars, Wark ended the season still on the youth team, and experienced success in the final of the FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
, defeating West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
5–1. He spent much of the 1975–76 season playing for the reserves, and was presented with the club's Young Player of the Year award, despite making just four appearances for the senior team. Moving into midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
, Wark made over 30 appearances in the 1976–77 season, scoring his first goals for the club, (10, in all) taking over penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
ing duty; he also received his first red card.
In the June of 1977, Wark was selected for the Scotland squad
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
for the first time, for a friendly match against East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
; however, a torn hamstring sustained in pre-season training ended any chance of an international debut. The injury also kept him out of first-team football until January 1978, when he returned for a match against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the third round of the 1977–78 FA Cup
FA Cup 1977–78
The 1977–78 FA Cup was the 97th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup. The final saw Ipswich Town beat Arsenal 1–0, with a single goal from Roger Osborne.-First round proper:...
.
Indifferent league performances that season meant that Ipswich finished just three points above the relegation zone
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
, but the season ended in success in the FA Cup
FA Cup 1977–78
The 1977–78 FA Cup was the 97th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup. The final saw Ipswich Town beat Arsenal 1–0, with a single goal from Roger Osborne.-First round proper:...
. Wark scored in a 3–1 victory over West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in the semi-final, and appeared in the final
1978 FA Cup Final
The 1978 FA Cup Final took place on 6 May 1978 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Arsenal and Ipswich Town. While Ipswich were considered underdogs, with Arsenal fielding a number of well-known players, including England striker Malcolm Macdonald, Ipswich won the match 1–0.Ipswich...
at Wembley as part of a side that surprised favourites Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, winning the game 1–0. Wark remarked, "We were underdogs but on the day we hammered them." Wark did not touch the ball for the first 18 minutes of the match, and as the players left the pitch at half-time, David Geddis
David Geddis
David Geddis, , is a football coach and scout, a former professional football player and England youth international.-Playing career:...
said to Wark, "Make sure you hit it between the posts in the second-half. Avoid the white bits." In the second half of the game, Wark "ignored Geddis' advice and hit Pat Jennings
Pat Jennings
Patrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...
' right post twice with almost identical swerving right-foot shots from outside the penalty area".
Twice in the three seasons that followed, Ipswich came within one game of winning the League championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, but finished as runners-up to Liverpool and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, respectively. However, Ipswich did win the club's only European trophy
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
when they lifted the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1981. Wark set a competition record by scoring 14 goals—including two, one in each leg—in the final
1981 UEFA Cup Final
The 1981 UEFA Cup Final was the two-legged final of the 1980–81 UEFA Cup, the tenth season of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second-tier club football tournament. The matches were contested between Ipswich Town of England and AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands; despite losing the second leg of the final 4–2,...
as Ipswich overcame Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
side AZ 67 Alkmaar 5–4 on aggregate. Wark's record equalled the long-standing scoring record in a European competition, set by Jose Altafini
José Altafini
José João Altafini, is an Italian Brazilian former footballer. He is the joint-third highest scorer in Italian Serie A history with 216 goals. He currently holds the record for the highest no...
of A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the 1962–63 European Cup. Wark's personal triumph that year was to win a European accolade, Young Player of the Year, and gain the acclaim of his fellow professionals in England to earn the PFA Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
award. He ended the 1980–81 season with 36 goals.
Wark continued to play for Ipswich, but after Robson left to become England manager
England national football team manager
The role of an England national football team manager was first established in May 1947 with the appointment of Walter Winterbottom. Before this, the England team was selected by the "International Selection Committee", a process in which the Football Association would select coaches and trainers...
in 1982, the side was gradually broken up by new manager Bobby Ferguson. Following a rejected demand for a wage increase, Wark submitted a transfer request, which was accepted. He signed for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
for £450,000 on 10 March 1984, seen as one of three replacements for Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, who was leaving to play for Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
in Italy that summer. At the time, Liverpool had won the league title six times, the European Cup three times and the League Cup three times in the preceding eight seasons.
1982–83
1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
, his final full season at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
, had seen him record the highest league goals tally of his career. He scored 20 goals in 42 league games, though it was not enough to prevent Ipswich from slipping to ninth place in the final table – their lowest position since finishing 18th in 1978.
Liverpool
The medical examination for Wark's transfer somewhat surprised him:
"I was rather taken aback when the doctor entered the Anfield boot roomThe Boot RoomThe Liverpool Boot Room was a room at Anfield, home of Liverpool F.C., during the 1960s - early 1990s where the coaching staff would sit, drink whisky and discuss the team, tactics and ways of defeating the next opposing side....
," Wark said. "He was small in stature and I could not help but detect the smell of alcoholAlcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
on his breath as he introduced himself to me. I was even more surprised when he announced we would stay put to conduct the medical examination. "He took my blood pressureBlood pressureBlood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
, looked at the reading and muttered 'that's fine'. Then something happened that to this day I still cannot get over. He asked me to bend down and touch my toes. "Trying not to show my surprise, I did exactly as he asked and as I lifted my head he spoke again, this time to announce 'you've passed'. That was it, my Liverpool medical."
Wark made his debut for the club on 31 March 1984 in a 2–0 league win against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
, and scored Liverpool's opening goal in the 58th minute. Liverpool won the English league title that season, and Wark made sufficient appearances to earn himself a medal. His unusual ability as a goalscoring midfielder was on display when he finished the 1984–85 season
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
as the club's top goalscorer, ahead of prolific striker Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
, with a tally of 27 goals in 62 appearances—a goal every 2.3 games. Wark's season included three hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s, one each in the League, the FA Cup and the European Cup. Liverpool qualified for the 1985 European Cup Final
1985 European Cup Final
The 1985 European Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium on 29 May 1985....
but the match was overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium Disaster
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
, a tragedy Wark remembers as "a nightmare memory".
In the 1985–86 season, Wark made 18 appearances, scoring six times, but missed out on the club's run-in to their League and FA Cup "double", due to a broken ankle suffered just after the turn of 1986, followed by an Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury. He eventually regained his fitness but struggled to regain his place in the Liverpool team until injury to Steve McMahon
Steve McMahon
Stephen Joseph McMahon is an English former football midfielder who most notably played for Liverpool in the late 1980s...
allowed him back in. Wark came on as a late substitute (but according to him, never touched the ball) when Liverpool lost the 1987 League Cup Final
1987 Football League Cup Final
The 1987 Littlewoods Cup Final was a football match played on 5 April 1987 between Arsenal and Liverpool. The match, played in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium, was won by Arsenal 2–1. Ian Rush opened the scoring for Liverpool, before Charlie Nicholas equalised, turning in a...
to Arsenal. No longer a part of manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
's plans following the arrival of new midfielders including John Barnes
John Barnes (footballer)
John Charles Bryan Barnes MBE is an English football manager and former player.During his playing career, Barnes had successful periods at Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the First Division twice, the FA Cup twice, and playing for England 79 times...
, Wark was sold back to Ipswich on 4 January 1988 for £100,000. In spite of more financially lucrative offers from both Watford and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, he followed Bobby Robson's advice: "Money isn't everything—go where you will be happiest." Wark left the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
club with a record of 42 goals in 108 appearances, a goal every 2.6 games.
Second spell at Ipswich
Ipswich had been relegated 18 months before Wark's return to the club and were still playing in the second tier of English football. During this second spell at Ipswich, Wark was close to being an ever-present in the side: he missed just two games in two seasons. He was the club's equal top-scorer in the 1988–89 season, sharing the achievement with forwards Dalian AtkinsonDalian Atkinson
Dalian Robert Atkinson is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League and Premier League for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City, in La Liga for Real Sociedad, in Ligue 1 for Metz, in the Turkish Super League for Fenerbahçe, in Saudi...
and Jason Dozzell
Jason Dozzell
Jason Irvin Winans Dozzell is an English former professional association footballer who made more than 500 Football League appearances for Ipswich Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Northampton Town and Colchester United...
.
Following three seasons of mid-table finishes, manager John Duncan
John Duncan (footballer)
John Pearson Duncan is a Scottish footballer and football manager.-Playing career:He played as a centre-forward for Dundee, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County, Scunthorpe United and the Scottish Football League....
was sacked and replaced by John Lyall
John Lyall
John Angus Lyall was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.- Youth team career :...
. With his contract expiring, Wark received what he considered to be a "derisory" offer from Lyall, which he declined. Once he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, Wark signed on a free transfer for Second Division rivals Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
in August 1990. In his two additional seasons with Ipswich, Wark had scored 20 goals, and won the club's Player of the Year award in both seasons.
Middlesbrough
Wark signed for Middlesbrough, the first club to show "a definite interest" in him, on a two-year contract, moving back to play in the centre of defence. He made regular appearances and helped the team to seventh place by the end of the season and qualification for the Second Division play-offsFootball League One play-offs
The Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
. Following a 1–1 draw with Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at Ayresome Park
Ayresome Park
-External links:**-References:...
, Wark was informed by manager Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...
that he would not be selected for the second leg. Wark was outraged; Middlesbrough lost the second leg 1–0. Todd departed from the club and was replaced by Lennie Lawrence
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, is a British football manager who is assistant manager of Crystal Palace. He has managed a number of English clubs and one Welsh club in a coaching career spanning over 30 years...
, who insisted that all players live "within an hour of Ayresome Park". Wark was still living in Ipswich at the time and following a "sensible agreement" with Lawrence, Wark's contract was terminated and he became a free agent again.
Third spell at Ipswich
Remaining without a club before the start of the 1991–92 season, Wark trained with Ipswich to keep fit, and rejected interest in his services from Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
and Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
. When Ipswich suffered a succession of injuries among their defenders, they offered him a contract, initially on a week-by-week basis, before securing a year-long deal. Wark made 43 appearances in the first season of his third spell with the club. Early results in the season were excellent; the club won seven of their first 11 matches in the league. In the FA Cup, Ipswich progressed to a fifth round encounter against Liverpool; when the tie went to a replay at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Wark received a standing ovation from both sets of fans. Ipswich lost the match, and their league form subsided somewhat thereafter, but they were still crowned Second Division champions and were promoted into the newly formed Premier League. Wark ended the season as the club's Player of the Year for the third time.
Wark agreed to a new one-year contract for the 1992–93 season and was asked to feature in a Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
advertisement to promote the inaugural Premier League competition. Ipswich were the only Premier League club to remain unbeaten after eight games (a sequence that included Wark's first Premier League goal in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
). Ipswich went fourth in February and there was talk of finally winning that title that had eluded them more than once during Wark's first spell there, but 13 consecutive games without a win resulted a 16th place finish in the table, just three points above the relegation zone, and only a win on the final day of the season made sure of their survival. Wark, now aged 37, secured yet another one-year contract shortly before the end of the 1993–94 season. Ipswich were saved from relegation in the last round of matches (for the second season running, another good start had given way to a late season slump), courtesy of an injury time winning goal scored by Mark Stein of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, which ensured that Ipswich's fellow strugglers Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
went down. Wark went on to be voted the club's Player of the Year for a record fourth time.
Ipswich and Wark fared worse in the 1994–95 season. The club lost 9–0 to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
during a season in which Ipswich "recorded fewer victories and suffered more defeats than in any campaign in the club's history". He was sent off in the away game at Norwich, where the team lost 3–0. Wark made fewer than 20 appearances in the following season, primarily because of a persistent foot injury. Despite his appearance in three more matches in the 1996–97 season, and a testimonial
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Portman Road, Wark played his last professional match against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
on 30 November 1996 at the age of 39. By this stage, he was the club's oldest player. Of a total 826 league matches played by Wark as a professional, he made 679 appearances for Ipswich. , he is Ipswich Town's third-highest all-time scorer, with 179 goals scored for the club, despite rarely appearing as a striker.
International playing career
From 1979, Wark was selected to play for his country, usually as a defender, eventually winning 29 caps for ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and scoring seven goals. Jock Stein
Jock Stein
John 'Jock' Stein CBE was a Scottish association football player and manager. He became the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967...
was the Scotland manager who gave him his debut, in a game held on 19 May 1979, a British Home Championship
1979 British Home Championship
The 1979 British Home Championship was a British Home Nations competition, won by the English football side and notable for seeing marked increases in hooliganism and falling attendance which would result in its cancellation in 1984. The English started well, beating Northern Ireland to match the...
match against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
; Scotland lost 3–0. Wark scored his first international goal a week later on 26 May, again in a British Home Championship game, this time against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley. Wark's opening effort was not enough, as Scotland were defeated 3–1.
After a 3–1 home defeat by Belgium in December 1979, Wark was not selected again for his country until February 1981 for the 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
qualifying match away against Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
. Following a successful qualification campaign, Wark was included in the Scotland squad that went to the World Cup in Spain under Stein's leadership. Wark played three games and scored two goals, both of which were in a single match against New Zealand, a game Scotland won 5–2. Scotland were knocked out in the group stage.
Wark's final appearance for Scotland came in September 1984, under Stein; he was replaced in favour of Paul McStay
Paul McStay
Paul Michael Lyons McStay MBE, nicknamed the Maestro , is a former football player who spent his entire career with Scottish team Celtic F.C., making his debut in 1982 and retiring in 1997. He captained both Scotland and Celtic at all age levels...
at half-time in a 6–1 victory over Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
.
Life outside football
Personal life
Wark has married twice—first to Toula, on 1 July 1981, with whom he has a son, Andrew, born in June 1983. He married Karen at Gretna GreenGretna Green
Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings. It is in Dumfries and Galloway, near the mouth of the River Esk and was historically the first village in Scotland, following the old coaching route from London to Edinburgh. Gretna Green has a railway station serving...
in April 2009. They reside in Onehouse
Onehouse
Onehouse is a small village in the English county of Suffolk, about 3 miles west from the centre of Stowmarket near to the Golf Club.Recorded in Domesday variously as "Aneus", "Anehus" "Anuhus" and "Anhus" , today it is mainly modern housing for commuters with a few scattered older buildings. was...
near Stowmarket
Stowmarket
-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
Film appearance
In 1981, Wark was one of several Ipswich players who appeared alongside stars including Bobby MooreBobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
football film Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory
Escape to Victory, known simply as Victory in North America, is a 1981 film about Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II...
, which starred Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
and Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
. Wark played a character called Arthur Hayes, but his only line had to be dubbed due to his broad Glaswegian accent.
Since retirement as a player
Following his retirement from playing football professionally, Wark continued to live in Suffolk, like many other ex-Ipswich players, including Allan Hunter, Mick MillsMick Mills
Michael 'Mick' Denis Mills is an English former football full-back who, by the end of his career, had achieved Ipswich Town's record number of appearances and captained England at the 1982 World Cup.-Club career:...
, Roger Osborne
Roger Osborne
Roger Charles Osborne is a former professional footballer who is best known for scoring the winning goal in the 1978 FA Cup Final.-Biography:...
and Mick Lambert
Mick Lambert
Michael Arnold Lambert started his career with Newmarket Town F.C...
. Wark told local radio station Heart
Heart Network
Heart is a radio network of 17 adult contemporary independent local radio stations in central & southern England and north Wales. Each station broadcasts local breakfast and drive time shows and simulcasts network programming at all other times...
that "after my retirement from football I made a conscious decision to stay in Ipswich, as it has been my hometown for a major part of my life." Despite his retirement from the professional ranks, Wark continued playing football as an amateur, and signed for Woodbridge Town
Woodbridge Town F.C.
Woodbridge Town F.C. is an English football club based in Woodbridge, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Notcutts Park.The club is affiliated to the Suffolk County FA.-History:...
in 1999 alongside former Ipswich team-mate Paul Mason
Paul Mason (footballer)
Paul Mason is a former professional footballer. After being released by Everton FC as a schoolboy he had trials at Manchester City and Tranmere Rovers but rejected them. He was working as a labourer in Holland when he was spotted by FC Groningen scouts whilst playing for his local pub team...
. He also played veterans football for Windsor and Eton, played with Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
's Badgers team at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, and has represented the Liverpool veterans in the Sky Sports Masters
Masters Football
Masters football is a 6 a-side indoor football competition in the United Kingdom, where players over the age of 35 are chosen by the Masters Football Selection Committee to represent a senior club which they played for. Regional heats are held, and the winners of each go forward to a national...
series.
In 2005, Wark was voted as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme Football Focus
Football Focus
Football Focus is a BBC television show, broadcast on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes, covering football, presented from the 2009/2010 season by Dan Walker...
"all-time cult hero" by Ipswich Town fans. In 2008 Radio Suffolk announced that he would join their commentary team as a summariser, alongside former team-mates Kevin Beattie
Kevin Beattie
Kevin Beattie is an English former footballer, playing at central defence for both Ipswich Town and England in the 1970s and early 1980s.- Through the ranks :...
and Bryan Hamilton
Bryan Hamilton
Bryan Hamilton is a Northern Irish former professional football player and manager. He gained 50 caps for Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1980, and later managed the national team for four years. He is currently Technical Director at Antigua Barracuda F.C.-Playing career:Born in Belfast,...
. As of April 2009, he works in the corporate hospitality department at Ipswich Town.
Autobiography
Wark's autobiography Wark On was published on 9 April 2009. The book contained material that gained media interest. Wark stated that he made "a small fortune by floggingSales
A sale is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation. It is an act of completion of a commercial activity....
tickets for the FA Cup Final to a shady underworld ticket tout". "Wark used his share of the cash to help pay for his wedding while a team-mate bankrolled a house extension. He added: "Other teams had done it, so why shouldn’t we? Nowadays it’s illegal but in those days it was regarded as a perk." The report also highlighted Wark's "dig" at the current "crop of stars" at Anfield. He said: "None of that lot would have been good enough in my time at Anfield."
Playing style and personality
Wark played as a central defender, midfielder and, occasionally, as a striker. Wark was an unusual player; he was able to play as a defensive midfielder yet break forward to score. According to former team-mate Terry ButcherTerry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
, this was because his colleagues would drop back to cover for him: "I played with John Wark, who was a sitting midfielder but was one of the top scorers in England and Europe. If you see it, then do it, as long as the others spot it and cover for you."
Wark was not a "supremely talented" player, but, according to football journalist Jim White
Jim White (journalist)
Jim White is a British journalist and presenter who has fronted STV's coverage of the UEFA Champions League for the 2006/07 season by accident. He attended Manchester Grammar School and went on to read English at Bristol University.-Writing:White has covered major sporting events for the Daily...
, one who espoused team-work and team spirit: "There is no question that the 'one-for-all, all-for-one' mentality generated in the Anfield dressing room was the engine that drove the great team. With players such as Alan Kennedy
Alan Kennedy
Alan Phillip Kennedy is a former footballer who played for Liverpool during their halcyon days in the late 1970s and early 1980s and had a knack of scoring in major cup finals....
, John Wark, Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee (footballer)
Samuel "Sammy" Lee is an English football coach and former player. He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder, and also represented England fourteen times....
and Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston is a former football player who was one of the first Australians to make a major impact in the English game. He is remembered for his time spent with Liverpool throughout the 1980s...
, nobody could claim this was a collection of top-notch operators in the manner, say, of the current Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
. Every week, they played as an entity greater than the sum of its parts." He has been described as "a defensive midfielder with an astonishing goalscoring record".
While playing, Wark retained the ability to be humorous and friendly even with the fiercest of rivals. Former Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
goalkeeper, Bryan Gunn
Bryan Gunn
Bryan James Gunn is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager. After learning his trade with Aberdeen in the early 1980s, he spent most of his playing career at Norwich City, the club with which he came to be most closely associated...
, recalls one of his most "memorable derby
East Anglian Derby
The East Anglian derby is a sobriquet used to describe football matches held between Ipswich Town and Norwich City. In recent years it has sometimes been described humorously as the Old Farm derby, a reference to the Old Firm derby played between Celtic and Rangers...
moments":
"one of the best was in the ... 1995–96 season, when referee Kevin Lynch awarded [Ipswich] Town their second penaltyPenalty kickA penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
of the game ... John Wark and I were having a bit of a laugh. I asked him where he was going to put his penalty and he said 'In the back of the net'."
Wark remained modest and able to take a joke at his own expense, for example in this story recounted by former Scotland team mate, Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
:
"JockJock SteinJohn 'Jock' Stein CBE was a Scottish association football player and manager. He became the first manager of a British side to win the European Cup, with Celtic in 1967...
... said to John Wark one day ... 'John, is it fair to say if you're no' scoring goals you're nae use to us?' and John just sat there and said 'aye, have to agree'."
Over the years, Wark has become closely associated with his moustache. Owen Slot described the player as "Ipswich's immortal moustache", while Wark himself notes "... it is something of a trademark, even if people are always calling me Bruce
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
..."
Honours
In 2006 Wark gained the final place in the poll 100 Players Who Shook the Kop, conducted by the liverpoolfc.tv website. The list was compiled as a result of a fan survey: "Over 110,000 supporters all nominated their own personal Top 10 players in order of impact made".In 2007, the Professional Footballers Association polled fans of all Football League clubs, as to "their No 1 player" as part of the "centenary celebrations of the players' union"; Wark was the choice of Ipswich fans. In the same year, Wark was one of four Ipswich Town players to be inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.
Ipswich Town
Winner- 1977–78 FA CupFA CupThe 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...
- 1980–81 UEFA Cup
- 1981 PFA Players' Player of the YearPFA Players' Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
- 1981 Young European Player of the Year
- 1991–92 Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
(Level 2)
Runner up
- 1978–79 Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
- 1980–81 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) - 1981–82 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1)
Liverpool
Winner- 1983–84 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) - 1985–86 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1)
Runner up
- 1984–85 Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
- 1984–85 Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Championship statisticsStatistics for the Intercontinental Cup which ran from 1960 to 2004.-Finals:-By country:-By team:-By continent:-Man of the Match:Since 1980-See also:*Intercontinental Cup*Copa Libertadores*UEFA Champions League...
- 1984–85 European Super Cup
- 1984–85 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) - 1984–85 European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
- 1986–87 Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
- 1986–87 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1)
Career statistics
| Club | Season | Appearances | Goals | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Football League |
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... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Other | |||
| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... |
1974–75 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975–76 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1976–77 | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| 1977–78 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| 1978–79 | 42 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 9 | |
| 1979–80 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 15 | |
| 1980–81 | 40 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 36 | |
| 1981–82 | 42 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 23 | |
| 1982–83 | 42 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 23 | |
| 1983–84 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | |
| Subtotal | 266 | 37 | 24 | 27 | 134 | |
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
1983–84 1983-84 in English football The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history... |
9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984–85 1984-85 in English football The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May... |
40 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 27 | |
| 1985–86 1985-86 in English football The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to... |
9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1986–87 1986-87 in English football The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off... |
11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |
| 1987–88 1987-88 in English football The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season.... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 70 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 42 | |
| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... |
1987–88 1987-88 in English football The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season.... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1988–89 1988-89 in English football The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football in England.-Hillsborough disaster:On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital... |
41 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | |
| 1989–90 1989-90 in English football -European competitions:English clubs were still banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster.- First Division :... |
41 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | |
| Subtotal | 89 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 25 | |
| Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
1990–91 1990-91 in English football The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager... |
32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Subtotal | 32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... |
1991–92 1991-92 in English football - First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister... |
37 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1992–93 1992-93 in English football The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions.... |
37 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| 1993–94 1993-94 in English football The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years... |
38 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 1994–95 1994-95 in English football -Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw... |
26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 1995–96 1995-96 in English football - Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title.... |
14 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1996–97 1996-97 in English football The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :... |
2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Subtotal | 154 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 20 | |
| Grand total | 611 | 73 | 56 | 56 | 223 | |
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland Scotland national football team The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872... |
1979 | 9 | 1 |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1981 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1982 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1983 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 7 |