CLIVE CLARK
1940 - 2014
After being rejected by Huddersfield Town as a youngster,
Clive ‘Chippy’ Clark signed for his local club Leeds United in August 1957,
initially as a junior. He signed professionally for United in January 1958 but
failed to break into the ‘Whites’ first team, leaving seven months later for
Third Division Queens Park Rangers.
He made his Rangers’ debut as a 17 year old on September 6,
1958, in a 2-0 defeat away at Bournemouth & Boscombe but his next appearance for
the club didn’t arrive until the following January, and despite a 5-1 defeat at
Norwich City the young Clive clearly impressed, he would miss just one game
during the rest of the season.
The next 18
months saw Clive establish himself as a regular
in Rangers’ first team and his form didn’t go unnoticed elsewhere - in early
January 1961 Albion, then under the leadership of Gordon Clark, splashed out a
fee of £20,000 to sign the 20 year old.
The first
'Albion News' after his signing had this to say about the newcomer: Bright
spot of the week is the arrival of new boy Clive Clark - outside left from
Queens Park Rangers. Our interest in the player goes back some time - August or
September when we first enquired - persistency has won in the end, and Clive has
the chance to come into a higher grade of football to see if he has 'what it
takes'.
Clive, who
certainly did have what it takes, made his Baggies’ debut on January 14 in a 3-1 win
over Preston North End at The Hawthorns and scored his first goal for the club
two months later in a 1-0 win over Leicester City. The winger became an almost
permanent fixture in the Albion first team for the next seven years and became
one of the club’s most iconic players in one of the club’s most iconic teams.
On a memorable
night in March 1966 he scored one of the goals as Albion beat West Ham United
4-1 at The Hawthorns to lift
the League Cup for the first and so far only time. ‘Chippy’ was a key figure the following
season as well as Albion once again reached the League Cup Final - their
opponents Clive’s former club QPR, but this time there would be no happy ending.
Watched by a crowd of almost 100,000 at Wembley, Albion raced into a 2-0 lead by
half-time thanks to two goals from Clive who became the first player to score in
every game of a season's League Cup. Rangers reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute
when Roger Morgan scored and then levelled on 75 minutes through Rodney Marsh.
With nine minutes left Mark Lazarus scored Rangers’ third to end Albion’s hold
on the trophy. Despite the Wembley heartbreak Clive had enjoyed probably his
best season yet, scoring 29 league and cup goals for the Baggies.
The 1967/68
season saw the club and Clive return to Wembley and this time the outcome was a much happier
one with Jeff Astle hitting the winning goal as Albion beat Everton 1-0 to win
the FA Cup for the fifth time.
Days after the Wembley triumph Albion
jetted off to East Africa for a short tour but it would turn out disastrously
for Clive. In a bad-tempered game against the Ugandan National XI in Kampala he
was the victim of an awful tackle - the knee injury sustained ruining his
1968/69 season and effectively ending his Albion career. He made just 17 league
starts during the season and it was clear to all the injury had finished him as
a top-flight performer. His last appearance for the Baggies came in April 1969
in a 2-2 draw at home to Ipswich Town. He finished his time at The Hawthorns
with 98 goals from 353 appearances, two of which came as substitute.
He left Albion
in June 1969 to return to previous club QPR but his second spell there was not a
success, he made just 10 appearances in six months for Rangers before he moved
on again, this time to Preston North End. Despite relegation to the Third
Division in his first few months at the club his spell at Deepdale was much more
successful - he was a key figure during the 1970/71 season as North End were
promoted back into the Second Division as champions. He left Preston in the
summer of 1973 to join Southport but his appearances for the struggling club
were few and far between with his last ever appearance in league football coming
as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat away at Grimsby Town on February 16, 1974. He
had a short spell with non-league side Telford United before jetting off to take
part in the NASL, featuring for Washington Diplomats, Dallas Tornados and
Philadelphia Fury. He returned to English football in 1977 with a short spell at
Skegness Town before finally hanging up his boots in May 1978.
After
retiring, Clive, who won an England under-23 cap against Wales at Goodison Park
in February 1961, coached youngsters at Butlin's Holiday Camp in Filey, North
Yorkshire.
'Chippy' sadly
suffered ill-health for a number of years in later life but reportedly still
maintained an interest in the Baggies. Whilst he may no longer be with us, many
happy memories of one of Albion's true greats will live on.
RIP
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