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Allan
Clarke playing for Leeds against Chelsea's David Webb.
Possibly
my happiest football moment ever was watching Allan
'Sniffer' Clarke's diving header to win the F.A.Cup in
the Centenary Final of 1972. For months afterwards, when
playing upfront, I was converting every goalmouth cross -
no matter how low - into a diving header at goal. I
remember one day soon after the event, re-enacting the
goal tirelessly, with my friends sometimes extending the
drama on to a broken winged Mick Jones, bravely
collecting his Cup Winner's medal. Back then we thought
Leeds United won the Cup every year !
For
Clarke it was just reward for his F.A.Cup final defeat in
a Leicester City shirt in 1969, and in a Leeds United
shirt the next year. When he moved to Leeds it was for a
U.K. record fee of £165,000. In those distant days as
with more recent times, Leeds didn't continually break
their record with footballing flops, and Clarke became
Leeds' leading scorer in four different seasons. He
remains Leeds's third highest ever scorer in all
competitions (behind Peter Lorimer and John Charles).
Clarke
left Leeds as player-manager for Barnsley, where he won
fourth division promtion. Sadly, his return to Leeds
United as manager in 1980 was less successful, and the
failures of successive teams in the post-Glory Years
finally reached their natrual conclusion - relegation
from the top division. Many believed Clarke should have
stayed on to re-build the team for an immediate return -
as it was neither happened. Eddie Gray came in and Leeds
stayed down for eight long, long, long, long, long, long,
long, long, seasons. It says something about my life that
Year One of those eight was the year I came to Leeds, and
finally had chance to become a season ticket holder ...
typical.
Further links on
this site include the following ...
See
where Shoot! magazine readers voted
Allan in a poll of players from the last 30 years.
Allan
gets a mention in the Saw Doctors' song 'Best of
Friends' - see Emails September 2000
Allan
gave his views prior to Leeds United defeat to
Cardiff City, see January 2002 News
Allan
appears at Lincoln University, see February 2002
Allan's
wife Margaret features in 'The Real Footballers'
Wives', see February 2003.
Allan
wins the Special Bob Award for the 2003-2004 season,
see News.
What
was Allan's shirt number at Leeds? See Email November, 2004 - to save you looking it
was No.8.
Allan
scores the second best FA Cup goal of the Seventies
according to visitors to this website, see Results
Allan
at Elland Road to present Gary Kelly an award Spring 2007
See Books
For
further links see the following ...
"Clarke
... 1-0" See Allan's excellent F.A.Cup Final
winner at Doctor Gary's Leeds TV
See
Allan score the second goal in the 1969-70 F.A.Cup
tie against Mansfield Town at Vintage Stags Action
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