For the association footballer of the 1960s, '70s, and '80s for Arsenal, Oxford United, Los Angeles Aztecs, Plymouth Argyle, and Kettering Town, see Colin Clarke

For the rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s for Great Britain, and Wigan, see Colin Clarke

Colin John Clarke (born 30 October 1962 in Newry, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Irish football (soccer) player. He is the head coach for the Puerto Rico Islanders of USL First Division and the Puerto Rican national football team.

[edit] Playing career

This section requires expansion.

Peterborough United

1981-1982 Played 27 Scored 4 goals (Division 4)
1982-1983 Played 37 Scored 9 goals (Division 4)
1983-1984 Played 18 Scored 5 goals (Division 4)

Gillingham

1983-1984 Played 8 Scored 1 goal (Division 3)

Tranmere Rovers

1984-1985 Played 45 Scored 22 goals (Division 4)

Bournemouth

1985-1986 Played 46 Scored 26 goals (Division 3)

Southampton

1986-1987 Played 33 Scored 20 goals (Division 1)
1987-1988 Played 40 Scored 16 goals (Division 1)
1988-1989 Played 9 Scored 0 goals (Division 1)

Bournemouth

1988-1989 Played 4 Scored 2 goals (Division 2)

Queens Park Rangers

1988-1989 Played 12 Scored 5 goals (Division 1)
1989-1990 Played 34 Scored 6 goals (Division 1)

[edit] International Caps

Like many players from Northern Ireland Colin Clarke's greatest playing days came in a Northern Ireland shirt, for whom he scored 13 goals (second behind David Healy) in 38 appearances. Clarke joined the National Team set up just as possibly the Greatest Northern Ireland team of all time was breaking up. He made his international debut in a pre-Mexico World Cup warm-up match against France in February 1986 and scored his first Northern Ireland goal against Morocco on his third appearance. In Mexico he appeared in all of Northern Ireland's matches, scoring a consolation against Spain, but the team where unable to match the heights they had reached at the 1982 World Cup.

After returning from the Mexico World Cup, many of Northern Ireland's star players retired or were at least in the veteran stage. Team manager Billy Bingham set about building a new team with Clarke as the spearhead. Although this new team failed to reach the heights of Bingham's first, Clarke did have some notable highlights. In September 1991, against the Faroe Isles he became the first Northern Ireland player to score a hattrick in international football since George Best in 1971. He scored his then record-breaking thirteenth Northern Ireland goal against Albania in September 1992 and played his final international match two months later against Denmark.

[edit] Coaching and management career

Clarke was appointed interim coach during the latter half of the 2003 MLS season as a replacement for Mike Jeffries, and was appointed full-time to the position for the 2004 season. Clarke went on to manage both the 2005 and 2006 seasons with great regular season form indeed FC Dallas won the Western Conference comfortably in 2006, but was eliminated in the play-offs in both years latterly after a penalty shoot out. This led to his sacking on 7 November 2006. Before being appointed head coach, Clarke was an assistant coach for the Burn, and the head coach of the Richmond Kickers of the United States' A-League from 1998-99, as well as one year as head coach of the San Diego Flash.

He was appointed head coach at Virginia Beach Mariners in January 2007. Within two months of Clarke's arrival, the club folded and Clarke was again without a job.

[edit] Puerto Rico Islanders

[edit] 2007

On 22 May 2007 the Puerto Rico Islanders appointed Clarke to replace Toribio Rojas as head coach mid way through the team's worst season since their creation.^[1] During the last half of the 2007 season he turned the squad's fortunes around and managed to cling to the sixth spot in the table, guaranteeing a playoff berth. The squad would make it all the way to the semi-finals where they lost to the Seattle Sounders on penalty kicks. Late in 2007 he also took the Islanders to the CFU Club Championship semi-finals, the Caribbean qualifiers for the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they lost 1–0 to Joe Public F.C. of Trinidad and Tobago.

[edit] 2008

Clarke, despite a bad start to the 2008 season, Clarke managed to lead the team into the CONCACAF Champions League by winning a two game series on 1:0 aggregate against fellow 2007 CFU Club Championship semi-finalist San Juan Jabloteh for the tournament's Caribbean third place spot. After several bad results at the start of the season, Clarke managed to push the Islanders into an undefeated run that would lead the team its first league trophy, Commissioner's Cup, after they ended the regular season in first place. The team would make it all the way to the finals, but lost to second seeds Vancouver Whitecaps 2:1.

[edit] Puerto Rico National Team

On January 2008, Clarke was chosen to lead the Puerto Rico national team. After two wins against Bermuda and a draw versus Trinidad and Tobago, he gained the trust of many Puerto Rican people. On 5 May, he led the national team to a disappointing 4-0 defeat against Honduras. However on 14 June, Puerto Rico played against Honduras in the second leg earning a 2-2 draw in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico he is known as "The General".^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

v • d • e Northern Ireland squad – 1986 FIFA World Cup 1 Jennings • 2 Nicholl • 3 Donaghy • 4 O'Neill • 5 McDonald • 6 McCreery • 7 Penney • 8 McIlroy • 9 Quinn • 10 Whiteside • 11 Stewart • 12 Platt • 13 Hughes • 14 Armstrong • 15 Worthington • 16 Ramsey • 17 Clarke • 18 McClelland • 19 Hamilton • 20 McNally • 21 Campbell • 22 Caughey • Coach: Bingham