Wayne Clarke
Encyclopedia
Wayne Clarke is a former professional football player from England
. During his career he made nearly 450 appearances in the Football League
, playing as a striker
for several different clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers
, Birmingham City
, Everton
and Manchester City
. He scored nearly 150 goals. He was a member of the Everton team which finished as English league champions in 1987. He is the youngest of five brothers. His brothers Frank
, Allan
, Derek
, and Kelvin
all played league football.
. He joined home-town club Wolverhampton Wanderers
as an associate schoolboy on his 15th birthday in 1976, despite competition from leading clubs, and became an apprentice when he left school the following year. He also represented England
at schoolboy and youth level.
He signed his first professional contract in March 1978, and made his first team debut as a substitute on 9 May 1978 in a 2–1 win away to Ipswich Town
. He was a member of the 16-man travelling squad when Wolves won the League Cup
in 1980
, but did not play. Competing for places with Andy Gray and John Richards
, he was a member of the team that suffered relegation
from the First Division
in 1982 but reclaimed their top flight status the following season. He scored 33 goals in 170 appearances in all competitions before Ron Saunders
took him to Second Division
Birmingham City
in 1984. The fee of £80,000 was set by tribunal and included a clause entitling Wolves to half of any profit made from a future sale of the player.
away to Aston Villa
. In 1986–87, Clarke again scored 19 goals, which again made him leading scorer. With Birmingham struggling to avoid further relegation to the Third Division
and in financial difficulties, the club accepted an offer from Everton
who were in need of an emergency replacement for the injured Graeme Sharp
. Clarke joined Everton in March 1987 together with inexperienced reserve striker Stuart Storer
, the pair jointly valued at £300,000. Former club Wolves complained to the Football League because they believed Birmingham were deliberately inflating the valuation placed on Storer in order to reduce the amount they would owe Wolves under the sell-on clause for Clarke. Birmingham's actions may have been an attempt to recoup money lost on the 1981 sale of Joe Gallagher
to Wolves, when the club was declared bankrupt the following year still owing most of the £350,000 fee.
not long after he joined, in the remainder of the 1986–87 season was enough to earn him a championship medal. The following year he began the season with the only goal in a 1-0 Charity Shield
win over FA Cup
winners Coventry City at Wembley, and later scored the only goal in the Merseyside derby
that not only beat arch-rivals Liverpool
, but also prevented them setting a new record of 30 games unbeaten from the start of a season.
At the end of the 1988–89 season, during which he helped his club to reach the FA Cup final
but did not play in it, Everton brought in Mike Newell
from Leicester City
in part exchange for Clarke and £500,000.
, managed by Howard Kendall
who had bought him for Everton three years earlier. He moved in a part-exchange deal valued at £650,000 which saw David Oldfield
join Leicester.
he was loaned to Shrewsbury Town
, where he scored six goals in seven games, then to Stoke City
, and then back to Wolves, where he was viewed as a potential partner for Steve Bull
. However his first appearance for the club lasted just 20 minutes before he punctured a lung, returned to Manchester City, and on his return to fitness was not allowed out on loan again.
in Division Three
. He was the fourth of the brothers to play for Walsall, and the move meant he had played in all four divisions of the Football League. He was the club's top scorer in the 1992–93 season with 21 goals in 39 games, helping them to a playoff position
, but they were heavily defeated in the playoff semifinal by Crewe Alexandra
and Clarke was sold to local rivals Shrewsbury Town
, managed by former Wolves goalkeeper Fred Davies
.
. The 1993–94 season brought the Division Three title and promotion to Division Two, and by the time the club released him at the end of the 1994-95 season, he had scored 22 goals in 59 games.
in the Conference
in July 1995, and resigned 18 months later after a spell of poor results, though with the club in mid-table.
In June 1997 he applied for the vacant manager's post at former club Walsall, but was unsuccessful.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. During his career he made nearly 450 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, playing as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for several different clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and 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...
. He scored nearly 150 goals. He was a member of the Everton team which finished as English league champions in 1987. He is the youngest of five brothers. His brothers Frank
Frank James Clarke
Frank James Clarke is the eldest of five brothers who all played in the Football League.Clarke was born in Willenhall, Staffordshire...
, Allan
Allan Clarke (footballer)
Allan John Clarke , nicknamed "Sniffer", is a former footballer who played in the Football League for Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, Leeds United and Barnsley, and won 19 international caps for England.-Early career:Clarke started his career at Walsall and made his debut aged 17, in 1963...
, Derek
Derek Clarke
Derek Clarke is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a forward for Walsall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oxford United, where he spent the majority of his career, Orient and Carlisle United...
, and Kelvin
Kelvin Clarke
Kelvin Leslie Clarke is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a defender for Walsall. Clarke was born in Willenhall, the fourth of five brothers who all went on to play League football. He was signed by Walsall as an apprentice, and turned professional in July 1975...
all played league football.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Clarke was born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. He joined home-town club Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
as an associate schoolboy on his 15th birthday in 1976, despite competition from leading clubs, and became an apprentice when he left school the following year. He also represented 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 schoolboy and youth level.
He signed his first professional contract in March 1978, and made his first team debut as a substitute on 9 May 1978 in a 2–1 win away to 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 was a member of the 16-man travelling squad when Wolves won the 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...
in 1980
1980 Football League Cup Final
The 1980 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1979–80 Football League Cup, the 20th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League...
, but did not play. Competing for places with Andy Gray and John Richards
John Richards (footballer)
John Peter Richards is a former English international footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
, he was a member of the team that suffered relegation
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...
from the First Division
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....
in 1982 but reclaimed their top flight status the following season. He scored 33 goals in 170 appearances in all competitions before Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders
Ron Saunders is a retired English football player and former successful manager. He remains the only manager to have taken charge of Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, normally bitter rivals....
took him to 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...
Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in 1984. The fee of £80,000 was set by tribunal and included a clause entitling Wolves to half of any profit made from a future sale of the player.
Birmingham City
Clarke scored 19 goals in his first season at Birmingham, which made him their leading scorer. His 17 league goals made a major contribution to the club winning the 1984–85 Second Division title. His season in the top flight with Birmingham was interrupted by suspension and minor injuries, and he only managed five goals as the side were relegated, which included scoring twice in Birmingham's 3–0 win in the local derbyBirmingham derby
In English football, the Second City derby is the local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Birmingham, England – Aston Villa and Birmingham City....
away to 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...
. In 1986–87, Clarke again scored 19 goals, which again made him leading scorer. With Birmingham struggling to avoid further relegation to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
and in financial difficulties, the club accepted an offer from Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
who were in need of an emergency replacement for the injured Graeme Sharp
Graeme Sharp
Graeme Marshall Sharp is a former footballer. He started his playing career at Dumbarton before signing for Everton for £120,000 in 1980....
. Clarke joined Everton in March 1987 together with inexperienced reserve striker Stuart Storer
Stuart Storer
Stuart Storer is a footballer, currently with Conference North side Hinckley United, where he played as a defender, but is now first team coach.-The early years:...
, the pair jointly valued at £300,000. Former club Wolves complained to the Football League because they believed Birmingham were deliberately inflating the valuation placed on Storer in order to reduce the amount they would owe Wolves under the sell-on clause for Clarke. Birmingham's actions may have been an attempt to recoup money lost on the 1981 sale of Joe Gallagher
Joe Gallagher (footballer)
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Gallagher is a former English professional association footballer who played as a centre-half for Birmingham City and various other clubs...
to Wolves, when the club was declared bankrupt the following year still owing most of the £350,000 fee.
Everton
Clarke's five goals in ten games, notably the winning goal away at ArsenalArsenal 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...
not long after he joined, in the remainder of the 1986–87 season was enough to earn him a championship medal. The following year he began the season with the only goal in a 1-0 Charity Shield
1987 FA Charity Shield
The 1987 FA Charity Shield was a football match between Everton and Coventry City at Wembley on Saturday the 1 August 1987. Everton had won the 1986-87 Football League and Coventry had won the 1987 FA Cup Final to qualify for the season opener which was played two weeks before the new league season...
win over 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...
winners Coventry City at Wembley, and later scored the only goal in the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
that not only beat arch-rivals 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...
, but also prevented them setting a new record of 30 games unbeaten from the start of a season.
At the end of the 1988–89 season, during which he helped his club to reach the FA Cup final
1989 FA Cup Final
The 1989 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1988–89 FA Cup, the top football knockout competition in England. The match was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 May 1989. Liverpool won 3–2 after extra time, with goals from John Aldridge and two...
but did not play in it, Everton brought in Mike Newell
Mike Newell (footballer)
Michael Colin "Mike" Newell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player he notably was a member of the Blackburn Rovers team which won the Premier League in 1995, as well also playing for Crewe Alexandra, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town, Leicester City, Everton,...
from 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 part exchange for Clarke and £500,000.
Leicester City
His return to the Second Division was brief. After just 11 league games and one goal, Clarke returned to the top flight with Manchester CityManchester 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...
, managed by Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
who had bought him for Everton three years earlier. He moved in a part-exchange deal valued at £650,000 which saw David Oldfield
David Oldfield (footballer)
David Charles Oldfield is an ex-professional footballer, currently in charge of the reserve and U18 teams at Peterborough United...
join Leicester.
Manchester City
He was unable to claim a regular place in the City side. While at Maine RoadMaine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
he was loaned to Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, where he scored six goals in seven games, then to Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, and then back to Wolves, where he was viewed as a potential partner for Steve Bull
Steve Bull
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE, is an English former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers...
. However his first appearance for the club lasted just 20 minutes before he punctured a lung, returned to Manchester City, and on his return to fitness was not allowed out on loan again.
Walsall
Clarke's next move came in the summer of 1992 when he joined WalsallWalsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
in Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
. He was the fourth of the brothers to play for Walsall, and the move meant he had played in all four divisions of the Football League. He was the club's top scorer in the 1992–93 season with 21 goals in 39 games, helping them to a playoff position
Football League Two play-offs
The Football League Two play-offs are a series of play-off matches, contested by the teams finishing from 4th to 7th in the Football League Two table to determine the fourth promotion place to the third tier of English football, League One. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 7th playing...
, but they were heavily defeated in the playoff semifinal by Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
and Clarke was sold to local rivals Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, managed by former Wolves goalkeeper Fred Davies
Fred Davies
Fred Davies is an English former footballer who made nearly 400 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Bournemouth. He also played for the Wolves team which, playing as the Los Angeles Wolves won the 1967 United Soccer Association...
.
Shrewsbury Town
Clarke spent two seasons at Gay MeadowGay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
. The 1993–94 season brought the Division Three title and promotion to Division Two, and by the time the club released him at the end of the 1994-95 season, he had scored 22 goals in 59 games.
Managerial career
He was appointed player-manager of Telford UnitedTelford United F.C.
Telford United F.C. was an English football club based in Telford, Shropshire.The club existed under various names for a total of 132 years from its formation in 1872. The club was founder members of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 and played at this level for 25 years before being wound up in...
in the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
in July 1995, and resigned 18 months later after a spell of poor results, though with the club in mid-table.
In June 1997 he applied for the vacant manager's post at former club Walsall, but was unsuccessful.
Honours
- with Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 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...
promotion 1983
- Second Division
- with Birmingham City
- 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...
promotion 1985 - Club's leading scorer 1984–85, 1986–87
- Second Division
- with Everton
- 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....
champions 1986–87 - FA 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...
winners 19871987 FA Charity ShieldThe 1987 FA Charity Shield was a football match between Everton and Coventry City at Wembley on Saturday the 1 August 1987. Everton had won the 1986-87 Football League and Coventry had won the 1987 FA Cup Final to qualify for the season opener which was played two weeks before the new league season...
- First Division
- with Shrewsbury Town
- Division ThreeFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
(level 4) champions 1993–94
- Division Three
External links
- Profile at Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database