Albert W. Clarke (25 December 1916 – 16 June 1944) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. He scored 39 goals in 84 appearances in the Football League playing for Torquay United, Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 December 1916 | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Date of death | 16 June 1944 (aged 27) | ||
| Place of death | France | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| – | Mexborough Town | ||
| – | Frickley Colliery | ||
| 1934–1936 | Torquay United | 12 | (9) |
| 1936–1938 | Birmingham | 31 | (9) |
| 1938–1944 | Blackburn Rovers | 41 | (21) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Clarke was born in Sheffield, and began his football career with Mexborough Town and Frickley Colliery.[3] Together with Frickley teammate Melvyn Millington, he turned professional with Torquay United of the Third Division South after a successful trial.[4] He spent 16 months with Torquay before moving to First Division club Birmingham in 1936. Before the 1938–39 season he moved again, joining Blackburn Rovers in exchange for Wally Halsall. He averaged a goal every other game for Blackburn, helping them to the Second Division title, before the Football League was suspended on the outbreak of the Second World War.[3] During the war he made guest appearances for Torquay and was a finalist in the 1939–40 War League Cup with Blackburn.[5] He died in 1944 on active service in France with the 12th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, part of the 6th Airlanding Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division.[3][6]
References
edit- ^ "Birmingham. Few old hands". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. iv – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 54. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
- ^ a b c Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- ^ "300 miles for a trial". Nottingham Evening Post. 2 November 1934. p. 14 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer at War 1939–45. London: Headline. pp. 260, 425. ISBN 978-0-7553-1431-7.
- ^ "Clarke, Albert". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
External links
edit- Profile at Frickley Athletic Museum website
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