Gerry Clarke

Gerry Clarke (born 1959) is a Northern Irish former footballer who played as a centre back or full back. His versatility to play across a variety of defensive positions was a major asset for the clubs he represented in Northern Ireland and Australia.

Clarke won schoolboy and youth international caps for Northern Ireland and went on to play in European club competition with Shamrock Rovers and Glenavon before emigrating to Australia in 1983, where he became a long-serving player and coach in Victorian football.

Early life and career

Clarke came through the Northern Ireland underage international system, earning schoolboy and youth caps, before signing as an apprentice professional with Middlesbrough FC in 1976. He returned to Belfast without making a senior appearance for the English club and signed for Cromac Albion, with whom he won a Clarence Cup winners' medal in 1977.

Shamrock Rovers

Clarke joined Shamrock Rovers FC in 1978 and played in two European Cup Winners' Cup]] matches for the club. He won a Tyler All-Ireland Cup final medal with Rovers against Finn Harps FC and was a squad member when Rovers won the FAI Cup in a controversial final against Sligo Rovers FC.^[1]^[2]

Glenavon

In January 1979, Clarke agreed to move to Larne FC, but the transfer fell through and he instead joined Glenavon F.C., where he played in two UEFA Cup matches against Standard Liège. Clarke helped Glenavon finish as league runners-up in the 1978–79 season, as Linfield FC claimed the Irish League Championship. He also helped Glenavon reach the 1981 Irish Cup final against Ballymena United, but missed the final through injury.^[3]

Move to Australia

Clarke left Glenavon in September 1983 to live in Australia, where he signed for Morwell Falcons in the Victorian Premier State League. In 1984, he played a pivotal role in the Falcons winning their first Premier State League Championship and Victorian State Cup double.

Clarke returned to Belfast in October 1984, re-joining Glenavon before signing for Cliftonville FC for the 1985–86 season.

Return to Australia and later career

After a short stint at Cliftonville, Clarke returned to Australia in May 1986 to take up a player-coach role with Morwell Falcons. In 1989, he was part of the Falcons squad that claimed a second Victorian Premier League and Cup double, despite missing the latter part of the season with a serious knee injury.

While recovering, Clarke took on the coaching role at Traralgon Olympians in the Gippsland Soccer League, guiding the club to third place in the league before winning the Top 4 Charity Cup. He returned to full fitness with Morwell Falcons for the 1990 season.

In 1991, Clarke left Morwell Falcons to become player-coach of Traralgon Olympians in the Gippsland Soccer League.

He was named the club's Player of the Year in a league championship-winning season, and in 1992 Traralgon Olympians won the Battle of Britain Cup and finished as league runners-up. During the 1991–92 season, Clarke also served as assistant coach of the Morwell Falcons youth squad in the Australian National Youth League.

In 1995, Clarke took on an assistant coaching and playing role at Fortuna 60 in the Gippsland Soccer League, helping the club win the 1997 and 2003 Gippsland League championships and the 1996 Battle of Britain Cup. During this period, he was also appointed coach of the Senior Gippsland League representative squad, winning the Victorian Country Championship in 1996 and 1999.

In 2000, Clarke was appointed assistant and development coach at Morwell Pegasus in the Victorian State League, stepping down at the end of the 2005 season due to health issues.

Legacy

In 2011, Clarke was named a central defender in the Morwell Falcons "Team of the 1980s", in recognition of his consistent performances for the club during that decade.

Honours

Shamrock Rovers

FAI Cup: 1978
Tyler All-Ireland Cup: 1978

Glenavon

Irish League runner-up: 1978–79
Irish Cup runner-up: 1981

Morwell Falcons

Victorian Premier State League: 1984, 1989
Victorian State Cup: 1984, 1989

Traralgon Olympians

Latrobe Valley Soccer League: 1991
Battle of Britain Cup): 1992
Player of the Year: 1991

Fortuna 60

Latrobe Valley Soccer League: 1997, 2003
Gippsland Cup (Battle of Britain Cup): 1996


Representative

Victorian Country Championship (as coach): 1996, 1999

Individual

Morwell Falcons Team of the 1980s: 2011

Sources

Doolan, Paul; Goggins, Robert. The Hoops. ISBN 0-7171-2121-6 Search this book on .

↑ "Irish Times archive, 19 October 1978". The Irish Times.
↑ "Irish Times archive, 2 November 1978". The Irish Times.
↑ "Irish Times archive, 6 January 1979". The Irish Times.

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[1] "Irish Times archive, 19 October 1978". The Irish Times.

[2] "Irish Times archive, 2 November 1978". The Irish Times.

[3] "Irish Times archive, 6 January 1979". The Irish Times.

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