Roy Clarke (footballer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Royston James Clarke | ||
| Date of birth | 1 June 1925 | ||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 13 March 2006 (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Sale, England | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1942 | Albion Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1942–1947 | Cardiff City | 39 | (11) |
| 1947–1958 | Manchester City | 349 | (73) |
| 1958–1959 | Stockport County | 25 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 1948–1956 | Wales | 22 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1963–1964 | Northwich Victoria | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Royston James Clarke (born June 1, 1925 – died March 13, 2006) was a talented Welsh footballer. He played as a winger for famous teams like Cardiff City and Manchester City. He also played for his home country, Wales.
Roy was a great athlete even as a schoolboy. During the Second World War, he worked as a miner. He played amateur football in his free time. He joined Cardiff City as an amateur in 1942. After the war, he became a professional player. He helped Cardiff City get promoted in 1946–47. Then, he moved to Manchester City in 1947. This was special because he played in three different football divisions in a row!
Roy Clarke played for Manchester City for ten years. He appeared in 349 league games. He was part of the team that reached two FA Cup finals. They won the FA Cup in 1956. Later, he played for Stockport County. He also managed a team called Northwich Victoria. After football, he ran a sports shop. He then managed the Manchester City social club for almost 25 years. Roy passed away in 2006 after a long illness.
Contents
Roy's Early Football Days
Roy Clarke was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. His family worked in mining. At school, Roy was excellent at sports. He played baseball for Wales as a schoolboy. He also won a local table tennis championship. After school, Roy became a miner, just like his father. He was one of the Bevin boys.
In his free time, Roy played for a local amateur football team. It was called Albion Rovers. Cardiff City noticed his talent. They signed him as an amateur player in December 1942. In 1945, he played against a top team from Russia. It was Dynamo Moscow. His team lost the game 10–1. The next year, he played for the Welsh national team. This was a special "Victory international" match.
Playing for Cardiff City
Roy Clarke played as an outside-left for Cardiff City. He played in 39 league matches. He scored 11 goals for the team. This was between 1942 and 1947. When league football started again after the war, Roy was a key player. He helped Cardiff City win promotion. They moved up from the Third Division in 1946–47.
In May 1947, he moved to Manchester City. They had just won the Second Division. Roy's transfer cost £12,000. He played his first game for Manchester City. It was their last match of the season. They played against Newport County. This was Roy's hometown club.
Roy's next game was in the First Division. He played against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was on the first day of the 1947–48 season. He scored his first goal for Manchester City in that game. This meant he had played in three different divisions. He did this in three games in a row!
Success with Manchester City
In the 1954–55 season, Manchester City used a new tactic. It was called the Revie Plan. In this plan, Don Revie played as a deep-lying forward. Roy Clarke played very well with this system. He and Revie worked together a lot. The team had a great run in the FA Cup.
Roy scored the winning goal in a semi-final match. It was against Sunderland. He headed in a cross from Joe Hayes. This sent City to Wembley for the final. But he hurt his knee late in that game. He missed five matches because of the injury. He came back for the last league game. But he hurt his knee again. He needed an operation. This meant he missed the 1955 FA Cup Final.
Manchester City reached the FA Cup final again the next season. Roy played almost every game in the cup run. He helped set up the winning goals. He did this in the quarter-final and semi-final. Manchester City played Birmingham City in the final. Many people thought Birmingham City would win.
Early in the game, Roy passed the ball to Don Revie. Revie then set up Joe Hayes. Manchester City scored in less than three minutes. Birmingham equalized in the first half. But Manchester City scored two more goals in the second half. They beat Birmingham City 3-1. This final is famous for goalkeeper Bert Trautmann. He kept playing even after breaking his neck.
Later Career and Retirement
By the 1957–58 season, injuries started to affect Roy. He didn't play as many first-team games. He was one of the first players to get a special payment. He received £1,000 for playing ten years for the club. After a game against Borussia Dortmund, his manager told him he might be transferred. But another player got injured. So Roy stayed for one more season.
He played seven games in his last season. His last game was an FA Cup defeat. It was against West Bromwich Albion. He played as a centre-forward in that game. This was different from his usual position as a winger. In total, he played 349 league games for Manchester City. He scored 73 goals.
Roy also had a short time as an assistant coach. This was at the end of his playing career. But he stepped down for his former teammate Jimmy Meadows. In September 1958, he moved to Stockport County. He played 25 league matches there. He scored 5 goals. He also played 22 international games for Wales.
After Football
After playing, Roy managed Northwich Victoria for a short time. Then, he moved back to Manchester. He opened a sports shop in Fallowfield. Because he was friends with Bert Trautmann, he became the first Adidas seller in the area. But the shop closed a few years later. Roy wanted to focus on Manchester City activities.
Roy became the manager of the Manchester City social club in 1966. He and his wife Kathleen ran the club for almost 25 years. The social club was open every day. It helped players, managers, and fans connect. It was praised in a book for bringing people together.
During his time at the social club, Roy helped start two other Manchester City groups. One was the Development Association. This group helps fund stadium improvements and youth training. The other was the Former Players' Association. He started this with Paddy Fagan and Roy Little. Roy was the secretary for this group. In 2004, he was added to the Manchester City Hall of Fame. He received a lifetime achievement award. Towards the end of his life, he had Alzheimer's disease. He passed away on March 13, 2006. He left behind his wife and three daughters.
Honours
As a player
- FA Cup winner 1956
