This photograph shows Stockton born lad Dennis Clarke (b 1948) in his Huddersfield Town days c1970. Dennis is on the back row, 3rd from the left.
Photograph and details courtesy of Anon.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
I remember when Dennis Clarke was leaving school, the headmaster (Mr.Hunt) I think? told the school that Dennis was signing for West Brom. It was quite a wow factor to know someone who was going to play professional football, and be famous. It was my first year at Newham Grange.
Donny Heath was another Newham Grange Schoolboy three years before Dennis Clarke who went to play professional football for Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Swindon Town, Oldham Athletic, Peterborough Utd., & Hartlepool Utd.
This is the 1970 – 71 season, back-row L to R, Mielczarek, Smith, Clarke, Ellam, D. Lawson, Poole, Krzywicki, Cherry, Greenhalgh, front-row Worthington, J. Lawson, McGill, Nicholson, Hoy, Dobson, Hutt. Jimmy Lawson was also a Middlesbrough lad who played for the Boro, as did Kevin Poole the goalkeeper. Trevor Cherry went on to be an England international with Leeds Utd.
Sitting on the extreme left of the front row is that wonderful footballer Frank Worthington. He possessed a left foot to die for and was playing into his late 30s. If his biography is to be believed he scored more off the pitch than on it.
Dennis Clarke was another former Newham Grange School player, he started at West Bromwich Albion were he had the distinction of being the first substitute used in the F.A. Cup-Final in 1968 season at Wembley when they beat Everton 1-0, he then played for Huddersfield Town & Birmingham City. Colin Dobson in this photo front-row 2nd from the right, is another one from Teesside, he was a prolific goal scorer for Smith Dock Juniors before joining Sheffield Wednesday, then he played for Huddersfield Town & Bristol Rovers.