Name: Robert ClarkeBorn: 20 April 1877, Drumbeg (near Lisburn)
Died:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Outside-Left
Representative Honours: Ireland: 2 Full Caps (1901); Irish League: 2 Caps/1 Goal (1900-1902).
Club Career:
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Teams
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Seasons
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Signed
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Fee
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League
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FA Cup
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Other
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Hilden
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99/00
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Aug-1899
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-
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-
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Belfast
Celtic
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00/01-01/02
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May-1900
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Wesley
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02/03-03/04
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Sep-1902
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TOTALS
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-
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£-
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-
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-
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-
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Biography:
Belfast Celtic won the Irish League in 1899/1900 and with a view to strengthening their squad signed outside left Robbie Clarke, a professional, from Hilden F.C. While Belfast Celtic were unable to retain the League title Clarke proved his worth, ending up as Celtic’s top scorer with 11 goals. He opened his goalscoring account with 4 goals in the 6-2 defeat of Derry Celtic in a League match on the 29th September 1900.
Clarke was rewarded for his excellent wing play with selection for the Irish League team to play the Football League in November 1900. While the Irish went down 4-2, Robbie scored the opening goal for the Irish. Before the end of that season he had represented Ireland twice in Full Internationals.
Clarke’s first campaign in the Irish League could be considered a success and he was only the second Celtic player to claim Ireland recognition, eleven months after the first, Pat McAuley. However, 1901/02 was not very productive for Celtic, and as a consequence Clarke’s form suffered. He did manage to score six goals and played for the Irish League against the Scottish League at Dundee in February 1902.
Just recently married and living in Lambeg, Clarke decided to return to local fiitball and signed professional forms with his local team, Wesley, in September 1902.
Ireland Cap Details:
23-02-1901 Scotland A L 0-11 BC
09-03-1901 England. A L 0- 3 BC
Summary: 2/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 2.
By George Glass.
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