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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Royston James Clarke | ||
| Date of birth | 1 June 1925 | ||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 13 March 2006 (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Sale, England | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1942 | Albion Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1942–1947 | Cardiff City | 39 | (11) |
| 1947–1958 | Manchester City | 349 | (73) |
| 1958–1959 | Stockport County | 25 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 1948–1956 | Wales | 22 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1963–1964 | Northwich Victoria | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Royston James Clarke (1 June 1925 – 13 March 2006) was a Welsh footballer who played for Cardiff City, Manchester City, Stockport County and Wales as a winger.
An outstanding schoolboy sportsman, Clarke became a miner during the Second World War, playing amateur football in his spare time. He signed amateur forms with Cardiff City in 1942, becoming a professional when league football resumed after the war. Part of the Cardiff side which won promotion from Division Three (South) in 1946–47, he signed for Second Division Manchester City in May 1947, Cardiff receiving £12,000 for the player. Manchester City had just secured promotion with matches to spare, resulting in Clarke achieving an unusual feat of playing in three different divisions in consecutive matches.
Clarke was a Manchester City regular for the next decade, making 349 league appearances. He was part of the Manchester City team which reached consecutive FA Cup finals in the 1950s, winning in 1956. In 1958 Clarke moved to Stockport County, and later had a spell as manager of Northwich Victoria. After retiring from football he ran a sports shop, and subsequently returned to Manchester City, where he ran the social club for nearly 25 years. He died in 2006, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease.