Former Forward Clarke Dies - Ipswich Town News
Former Town forward Frank Clarke died on Thursday, aged 79.
Clarke was an early Bobby Robson signing when he joined the Blues from QPR close to the transfer deadline in March 1970 at the same time as outside right Jimmy Robertson, who was brought in from Arsenal.
Town had been in the bottom four of the First Division but the duo hit the ground running and helped see the Blues away from relegation trouble and up to 18th.
Clarke went on to make 71 starts and five sub appearances for Town, scoring 17 times, before moving on to Carlisle in August 1973. He remained at Brunton Park for the remainder of his professional career.
The eldest of the five Clarke brothers who played in the Football League - the other Leeds and England hotshot Allan, one-time Wolves man Wayne, Derek, who spent a lengthy spell at Oxford and Kelvin, who had a short spell at Walsall - he started his career with hometown club St Giles Willenhall.
Clarke became a legend at Shrewsbury between 1961 and 1968, becoming the club’s joint-top all-time goalscorer having netted 77 times in 188 games and is a member of the Shrews’ Hall of Fame. He spent two years with QPR before his move to the Blues.
After hanging up his boots he worked as a newsagent in Carlisle before returning to the Shrewsbury area where he worked as the supervisor of Adams Sports Centre in Wem until December 2010.
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