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Leeds United forward Allan Clarke was one of the truly outstanding natural goalscorers of his generation, finding the net with regularity and confidence game after game, season after season, after joining up with Don Revie in the summer of 1969. Such was his impact as Leeds United chased a treble in his first season (though they won nothing), England coach Alf Ramsey took a chance and went entirely for the form book by putting the uncapped 23 year old into his squad for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, and risked further egg on his face by picking him for the last group game against Czechoslovakia. With defeat by Brazil in the second game meaning this next match was still crucial to EnglandÕs defence of the trophy, the media feared for Ramsey's recklessness in selecting an untried striker but they needn't have worried. Clarke vindicated Ramsey's faith in him by leading the line with aplomb and maturity, even having the nerve to slot away the penalty which proved to be the game's only goal. For all the headlines coach and player created, it proved nothing more than an exciting cameo, as England went out to West Germany in the quarter-finals with Clarke not getting on to the pitch. However, there would now follow a period where he was frequently topping the country's goalscoring charts and duly receiving his summons for England duty as a result.
1972-1973
England's first game after the World Cup saw them beat East Germany 3-1 and Clarke scored again. Tottenham's Martin Chivers and West Ham's Geoff Hurst were his chief rivals for the main goalgetter's role but Allan's confidence was never tainted. He put away a penalty in a 5-0 win over Malta in May 1971 and scored the only goal in a Home International win over Northern Ireland in Belfast three days later. He had therefore scored one goal in each of his first four games, but the impression was lost a little on Ramsey, who didn't start him again for the rest of the year, giving him merely two short sub appearances and then proceeded to ignore him for the best part of two years. Clarke did suffer injuries during this period but whenever he played, he scored. His casting into the international wilderness did not seem to be for reasons of form. Chivers and Hurst formed England's main partnership until interest in the 1972 European Championships was ended by the West Germans, then the likes of Joe Royle, Mick Channon and Malcolm Macdonald were handed opportunities following the pensioning of Hurst. Clarke, however, was not considered. (Matthew Rudd)
EUROPEAN CUPS RECORD FOR LEEDS UNITED.
Champions Cup.
1969-1970
1. Lyn Oslo (H, T, 90) 10-0 2 goals (18, 47/ 4, 6-0)
2. Standard de Liège (A, T, 90) 1-0
3. Standard de Liège (H, T, 90) 1-0
4. Celtic Glasgow (H, T, 90) 0-1
5. Celtic Glasgow (A, T, 90) 1-2
Inter-cities Fairs Cup.
1970-1971
6. Sarpsborg FK (H, T, 90) 5-0
7. Dynamo Dresden (H, T, 90) 1-0
8. Dynamo Dresden (A, T, 90) 1-2
9. TJ Sparta CKD Praha (H, T, 90) 6-0 1 goal (19/ 1-0)
10. TJ Sparta CKD Praha (A, T, 90) 3-2 1 goal (32/ 2-0)
11. Vitoria Setubal (A, T, 90) 1-1
12. Liverpool FC (A, T, 90) 1-0
13. Liverpool FC (H, T, 46) 0-0
14. FC Juventus (A, T, 90) 2-2
15. FC Juventus (H, T, 90) 1-1 1 goal (12/ 1-0)
Cup Winners Cup.
1972-1973
16. MKE Ankaragücü (H, T, 90) 1-0
17. FC Carl Zeiss Jena (A, T, 90) 0-0
18. FC Carl Zeiss Jena (H, T, 90) 2-0
19. Rapid Bucaresti (H, T, 90) 5-0 1 goal (25/ 2-0)
20. Hajduk Split (H, T, 72*) 1-0 1 goal (20)
UEFA Cup.
1973-1974
21. Strømsgodset IF (A, T, 90) 1-1 1 goal (15/ 1-0)
22. Strømsgodset IF (H, T, 75) 6-1 2 goals (11, 42/ 1-0, 3-1)
23. Hibernian FC (H, T, 90) 0-0
24. Hibernian FC (H, T, 120) 0-0 5-4
25. Vitoria Setubal (H, T, 90) 1-0
Champions Cup.
1974-1975
26. FC Zürich (H, T, 90) 4-1 2
goals (15, 44/ 1, 3-0)
27. FC Zürich (A, T, 90) 1-2 1 goal
(37/ 1-0)
28. Ujpesti Dozsa SC (H, T, 90) 3-0
29. RSC Anderlecht (H, T, 90) 3-030. RSC Anderlecht (A, T, 90) 1-0
31. FC Barcelona (H, T, 90) 2-0 1 goal
(78/ 2-1)
32. FC Barcelona (A, T, 90) 1-1
33. Bayern München (N, T, 90) 0-2
*: sent off.
Results by season:
1969-1970: eliminated in Semi-finals of the Champions Cup by Celtic who
is beaten by Feyenoord in Final.
1970-1971: winner of the Fairs Cup over Juventus.Away goals: 2-2 away,
1-1 home).
1972-1973: did not play in the Cup Winners Cup Final where Leeds is
beaten by Milan.
1973-1974: Leeds is eliminated in the R. of 16/ 3rd R. of the UEFA Cup
by Vitoria Setubal. Scored his pk against Hibernian.
1974-1975: beaten in the Champions Cup Final by Bayern Munich.
Best results and stats:
Winner of the Fairs Cup in 1971.
Runner-up of the European Champions Cup in 1975.
Semi-finalist of the European Champions Cup in 1970.
Runner-up of the Cup Winners Cup 1973 (did not play the Final, sent off
in the semi-finals)
13 matches/ 6 goals in Champions Cup.
5 matches/ 2 goals in Cup Winners
Cup.
15 matches/ 6 goals in Fairs/ UEFA Cup.
1 goal in Fairs Cup Final (in '71 against Juventus).
1 goal in Cup
Winners Cup Semi-final (in '73 against Hajduk).
1 goal in Champions Cup
Semi-final (in '75 against Barcelona).
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