- Birthdate: 6 February 1903
- Birthplace: Newburn, England
- Date of death: 1970
- Other clubs: Spencer's Welfare (1919-20), Hawthorn Leslie (1920-21), Newburn Grange (1921-22), Prudhoe Castle (1922-23), Newcastle United (1923-28), Nottingham Forest (1931-32), North Shields
- Signed from: Newcastle United
- Signed for LFC: £3,000, 26.01.1928
- Liverpool debut: 04.02.1928
- Last appearance: 28.03.1931
- Debut goal: 03.11.1928
- Last goal: 28.03.1931
- Contract expiry: 03.07.1931
- Win ratio: 40.48% W:17 D:10 L:15
- Games/goals ratio: 3.82
- League games / goals: 39 / 11
- Total games / goals: 42 / 11
Player Profile
John Robert or simply "Bob" Clark, who could feature anywhere up front and was "built like an elephant" weighing over 14 stone, won the League Championship with Newcastle in 1927, a perfect partner for Hughie Gallacher. He played 77 League games and scored 16 goals in five years until he moved to Liverpool in the middle of the 1927/28 season. He was introduced into the Liverpool side when he played in two defeats against West Ham and Portsmouth early February 1928. He played in 32 consecutive League matches the next season, scoring nine goals. Although Clark started the 1929/30 season in the first team and played in the opening three League fixtures, he lost his place and was only called on once more in his last season at the club, on 28 March 1931, although he did sign off with a goal when Liverpool defeated Portsmouth 3-1.
Clark did have his moments in a Liverpool shirt as evident in this report in the Liverpool Echo on Liverpool's 8-0 victory over Burnley on Boxing Day 1928. "That’s Clarky, he would dribble round his own side, the referee and anyone else between him and goal. Dribbling is a joy to watch when Clark
is in this mood. Although the crowd at times do not echo my enthusiasm when he goes backward to go around the same player twice or even thrice."
Appearances per season
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps |
Minutes |
Opponent |
4 |
390 |
Bolton Wanderers |
4 |
360 |
Portsmouth |
3 |
270 |
Huddersfield Town |
3 |
270 |
Arsenal |
2 |
180 |
Birmingham City |
2 |
180 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
2 |
180 |
Sunderland |
2 |
180 |
Cardiff City |
2 |
180 |
Derby |
2 |
180 |
Burnley |
2 |
180 |
Manchester City |
2 |
180 |
Blackburn Rovers |
2 |
180 |
West Ham United |
2 |
180 |
Everton |
1 |
90 |
Leicester City |
1 |
90 |
Bristol City |
1 |
90 |
Middlesbrough |
1 |
90 |
Aston Villa |
1 |
90 |
Manchester United |
1 |
90 |
Leeds United |
1 |
90 |
Newcastle United |
1 |
90 |
Bury |
Total |
Venue |
22 |
Home |
20 |
Away |
Goals per season
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
# |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
04.02.1928 |
West Ham United |
Anfield |
League |
Milestone Goals
# |
Minute |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
85 |
03.11.1928 |
Birmingham |
Anfield |
League |
Related Articles
Wooltonian looks at Liverpool matches from 1927-1929.
Related Quotes
"Clark is one of the few footballers who really enjoys his football. He loves to have a lot of the ball, to walk this way and that way, striding and stroking the ball at will. He loves to make a tackle with one foot and, having missed the ball, he completes the boyish trick of putting his other foot out behind foot number one.
But he is seen at his best, when he is bringing a ball down by a trapping movement. Yesterday against Burnley he got his first goal, through charging Lindsay out of the way and dribbling round one of his own players. That’s Clarky, he would dribble round his own side, the referee and anyone else between him and goal. Dribbling is a joy to watch when Clark is in this mood. Although the crowd at times do not echo my enthusiasm when he goes backward to go around the same player twice or even thrice. He has instilled a working spirit into the forward line, and there was a Newcastle stamp on the Anfield slopes yesterday."
Bob Clark's skills described after a sensational performance on 26.12.1928 vs Burnley where he scored two goals in an 8-0 victory.
Scrapbook
Clark in sensational form at Christmas 1928
Other Clubs
Club |
Season |
Club rank |
League apps |
League goals |
Total apps |
Total goals |
Spencer's Welfare |
1919-1920 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Hawthorn Leslie |
1920-1921 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Newburn Grange |
1921-1922 |
Northern Football Alliance League |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Prudhoe Castle |
1922-1923 |
|
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Newcastle United |
1922-1923 |
England First Division |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
Newcastle United |
1923-1924 |
England First Division |
11 |
1 |
11 |
1 |
Newcastle United |
1924-1925 |
England First Division |
18 |
4 |
18 |
4 |
Newcastle United |
1925-1926 |
England First Division |
21 |
6 |
21 |
6 |
Newcastle United |
1926-1927 |
England First Division |
17 |
4 |
17 |
4 |
Newcastle United |
1927-1928 |
England First Division |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
Nottingham Forest |
1931-1932 |
England Second Division |
5 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
North Shields |
1932- |
North Eastern League |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Total |
82 |
18 |
82 |
18 |