Cliff Birks

Cliff Birks
Personal information
Full name	Clifford Birks
Date of birth	13 December 1910
Place of birth	Hanley, Staffordshire, England
Date of death	1998 (aged 87–88)
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Right-half, outside-right
Youth career
	Stoke St. Peters
	Stoke City
Senior career*
Years	Team
1929–1936	Port Vale
1936–1937	Torquay United
1937–1938	Halifax Town
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Clifford Birks (born 13 December 1910 – 1998) was an English professional footballer who played as both a right-half and at outside-right for Stoke City, Port Vale, Torquay United and Halifax Town in the 1930s.

Career

Port Vale

Birks played for Stoke St. Peters and Stoke City, before joining Port Vale in November 1929.^[1] He made his debut on 27 December 1932, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic at The Old Recreation Ground, and made 21 Second Division appearances and one FA Cup appearance in the 1932–33 season.^[1] He featured 11 times in the 1933–34 and 1934–35 campaigns, scoring four goals in the last five games of the 1934–35 season.^[1] He scored three goals in 15 league games in the 1935–36 season, finding himself on the score-sheet against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, but was released in May 1936.^[1]

Later career

He joined Torquay United of the Third Division South. He was kept out of the side due to the form of Fred Beedall and George Daniels in the 1936–37 campaign; Birks made his "Gulls" debut at Plainmoor on 16 January 1937, scoring in the 4–1 defeat to Southend United. However, this was to be his only appearance for Torquay, and he left to join Halifax Town for the following season. He played just three Third Division North games for Halifax before leaving both The Shay and the English Football League. During the war he guested for Leicester City.^[1]

Career statistics

Source:^[3]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1932–33	Second Division	21	0	1	0	0	0	22	0
	1933–34	Second Division	11	0	0	0	0	0	11	0
	1934–35	Second Division	11	4	0	0	0	0	11	4
	1935–36	Second Division	15	3	0	0	0	0	15	3
	Total		58	7	1	0	0	0	59	7
Torquay United	1936–37	Third Division South	1	1	0	0	1	0	2	1
Halifax Town	1937–38	Third Division North	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Career total			61	8	1	0	1	0	63	8

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 31. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
^ "Torquay United. 'Magpies will do better this time'". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. xi – via Newspapers.com.
^ Cliff Birks at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

[kent-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 31. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.

[2] "Torquay United. 'Magpies will do better this time'". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. xi – via Newspapers.com.

[3] Cliff Birks at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

[1]

[2]

[3]

Personal information
Full name	Clifford Birks^[1]
Date of birth	(1910-12-13)13 December 1910^[1]
Place of birth	Hanley, Staffordshire, England^[1]
Date of death	1998 (aged 87–88)
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)^[2]
Position(s)	Right-half, outside-right
Youth career
	Stoke St. Peters
	Stoke City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1929–1936	Port Vale	58	(7)
1936–1937	Torquay United	1	(1)
1937–1938	Halifax Town	3	(0)
Total		62	(8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals