Highlight of a very good day

Totally agree with that, it was bleak pre Allan Clarke days, like you say we may never have moved on if it weren’t for his input.

 

It was before my time as a fan, but I do often feel a bit sorry for Jim Iley, with all the stick he gets.
By the sounds of it, while it maybe wasn't exactly exciting, didn't he keep the club steady for a few years, at a really bad time.
Which surely helped set the foundations for the club, and put them in the position to be able to sign Clarke, in '78.

 

I was too young at the time to see any of Clarkes teams but one question has evaded me about him.

Why did he cut his management career short in his mid 40s?

 

May 8th 1979 v grimsby my first ever match, clarke and hunter 2 great managers at the end of 70s start of 80s

 

Think it went to Hartlepool game before this but it's one game that sticks out

 

I had two years of IleyOut and then Clarke came in. Wow! Transformed EVERYTHING. The away followings we had that season - huge. Average age = 15!

 

I started going at Easter 77 and can remember well the change when Clarke took over. And I was excited cos he was a big name and was in my Panini albums and in my Topps cards. What people often forget is that he was still a very good player, so he made up for the loss of my first Reds hero, Brian Joicey, from the team. Clarke, Bell, Graham and Millar, with Riley and Speedie as back up. What a great set of attacking players for Division Four.

Clarke is right up there near the top of the list of the most important people in the history of BFC.

 

And let us NEVER forget he signed Sir Ronnie

 

Here's one of those questions, that obviously can't be proved, and we'll never know of course.
But who thinks we were heading for relegation, in season '89, when Clarke was sacked in Nov ?.
Mel Machin was appointed after Christmas, and he kept us up.

 

Mine too, what a great night that was.