Allan Clarke was one of the finest strikers during the 1970's, mostly known for his time with Leeds United. He was popularly known as the "Sniffer", and had also played for the likes of Walsall, Fulham, Leicester City, and Barnsley. Clarke had also earned 19 caps for the English national side, during which he scored an impressive 10 goals.
Let us now look back at his years as a footballer, as we pay tribute to this legend.
Early years
Allan Clarke began his professional football career in 1961, having joined Walsall F.C. as an apprentice. His debut came 2 years later in October 1963 against Reading. His time at the club was a success, with Clark scoring 46 goals in just 82 appearances.
After 3 years at Walsall, Clarke was signed by Fulham in March 1966 during deadline day. The former English striker spent his next 2 years at Fulham, scoring yet another commendable 45 goals in 86 games.
Clarke's immense potential at the time eventually resulted in a then British football transfer record £150,000 bid by Leicester City in 1968, which was accepted by Fulham.
The Englishman only lasted a single season at Leicester, but still had a few memorable highlight moments. One of them was scoring the winning goal in the semi final of the 1969 FA Cup against West Bromwich Albion, which was coincidentally the side he supported as a child. The other was his man of the match display in the finals of the same tournament, which went in vain with Leicester losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
The Sniffer arrives
Clark's outstanding abilities resulted in an extremely short stint at Leicester, as yet another British transfer record bid was made for the player. Leeds United manager Don Revie paid £165,000 to Leicester City for Clarke's services.
The Englishman's first season at Leeds was nothing short of phenomenal, as he ended the campaign with 26 goals. It was those heroics that saw him popularly nicknamed "The Sniffer". Leeds were on a dream run at the time, chasing a dream League championship, FA Cup and European Cup treble. However, they ended up empty handed in the end. The likes of Chelsea, Everton, and Celtic went on to destroy the historic dreams of Clark and Leeds.
Big-game player
Silverware success eventually followed the player though, as Clark won the
Fairs Cup in 1971, the second in Leeds' history. The striker was instrumental in the historic success as well, scoring against the mighty Juventus in the final.
Leeds went on to reach yet another FA Cup final again, with Arsenal being the last obstacle in front of them. The Sniffer was yet again pivotal for his side, with yet another heroic performance when it mattered the most. Clarke scored the only goal in the final, as his diving header in the second half sealed the cup for Leeds. Despite this success, Clark and Leeds failed in their attempts to win the league title and achieve a historic double that season.
League triumph and eventual departure
Clark and Leeds were able to reach yet another FA Cup, but they suffered heartbreak yet again. The 1973 final ended with a 1-0 win for Sunderland.
The year of 1974 was arguably his greatest for the club, as Clark's magnificent scoring exploits helped Leeds become league champions. It was a tremendous season for the club, which even saw them remain undefeated during the opening 29 league games.
Leeds were able to reach the 1975 European Cup Final as well, but lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich. It was quite a controversial match, which had Clark tackled from behind by Franz Beckenbauer and Leeds being denied a clear penalty.
The devastating aftermath of finals continued for Leeds and Clark, as they once again lost an FA Cup final in 1977. Despite scoring for his club, Clark's efforts went in vain with Manchester United winning the final 2-1.
He eventually left the club in 1978, departing Leeds United as one of their greatest ever signings.
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