Clive Walker
Encyclopedia
Clive Walker is a retired English
footballer
. His playing career spanned some 1,000 league and cup games for Chelsea
, Sunderland
, Fulham
and Brighton before enjoying a renaissance
in the Conference with Woking
and Cheltenham Town
.
. He first broke into the Chelsea team during the 1977–78
season, but they were in the Second Division
for most of his time there. He nonetheless played a big role in several key matches for the club in this period.
He put in Man of the Match
performances against European champions Liverpool
in the FA Cup
in 1978 and 1982 as the Blues pulled off two famous upsets; he scored twice in a 4–2 win in 1978 and set up a late clincher for Colin Lee
in a 2–0 win in 1982. With Chelsea facing relegation to the Third Division
in 1982–83
, and with it potential financial meltdown, Walker also scored a late winner against fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers
in the penultimate game of the season to ensure the club's survival. In 1979, Chelsea sent him on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League
.
season following a contract dispute, and signed for Sunderland. He returned to haunt his old side the following season in the Milk Cup
, when the teams were drawn together in the semi-finals. In the second leg at Stamford Bridge
, Walker inspired Sunderland to a 3–2 win, giving them a 5–2 aggregate lead, which provoked a near-riot; at one point a Chelsea fan entered the pitch and chased Walker. In the final
at Wembley, however, Sunderland lost 1–0 to Norwich City
, with Walker missing a penalty
.
Walker worked under many managers including names such as Jim Smith
, Dave Sexton
, Geoff Hurst
, Danny Blanchflower
, John Neal
, Eddie McCreadie
and Steve Cotterill
.
One of only three players to play for the West London trio of Chelsea F.C.
, Fulham F.C.
and Q.P.R., the others being Roy Bentley
and Paul Parker.
. Clive is also now a co-director of Sporting Experience with Jason Cundy
.
He also makes appearances on Chelsea TV
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. His playing career spanned some 1,000 league and cup games for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Brighton before enjoying a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
in the Conference with Woking
Woking F.C.
Woking Football Club is a football club from in Woking, Surrey, England, formed in 1889. They are playing in the Conference South in the 2011–12 season. For the 2011/2012 season, Woking are sharing their ground with Conference National club Hayes & Yeading United.-Promotion to the...
and Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
.
Chelsea
Walker was an old-fashioned winger with pace who used to terrorise full backs on a weekly basis. He began his career with Chelsea, playing in the same side as the likes of Ray WilkinsRay Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE , often known as "Butch" Wilkins, is an English former footballer and at present a television pundit...
. He first broke into the Chelsea team during the 1977–78
1977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
season, but they were in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
for most of his time there. He nonetheless played a big role in several key matches for the club in this period.
He put in Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
performances against European champions Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1978 and 1982 as the Blues pulled off two famous upsets; he scored twice in a 4–2 win in 1978 and set up a late clincher for Colin Lee
Colin Lee
Colin Lee is an English football manager and former footballer. He is currently Chief Executive of League Two side Torquay United and President of Buckfastleigh Rangers Football & Social Club.-Playing career:...
in a 2–0 win in 1982. With Chelsea facing relegation to the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
in 1982–83
1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
, and with it potential financial meltdown, Walker also scored a late winner against fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the penultimate game of the season to ensure the club's survival. In 1979, Chelsea sent him on loan to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
.
Sunderland
Walker left Chelsea at the end of the 1983–841983-84 in English football
The 1983–84 season was the 104th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history...
season following a contract dispute, and signed for Sunderland. He returned to haunt his old side the following season in the Milk Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, when the teams were drawn together in the semi-finals. In the second leg at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, Walker inspired Sunderland to a 3–2 win, giving them a 5–2 aggregate lead, which provoked a near-riot; at one point a Chelsea fan entered the pitch and chased Walker. In the final
1985 Football League Cup Final
The 1985 Milk Cup Final was won by Norwich City. The Canaries defeated Sunderland 1–0 at Wembley Stadium on 24 March 1985 with an own goal scored by Gordon Chisholm, who deflected Asa Hartford's shot past goalkeeper Chris Turner...
at Wembley, however, Sunderland lost 1–0 to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, with Walker missing a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
.
Records
Walker currently holds the record for the oldest player to play for his last club, Cheltenham Town.Walker worked under many managers including names such as Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
, Dave Sexton
Dave Sexton
David "Dave" Sexton OBE is an English former football manager and player.-Playing career:Son of former professional boxer Archie Sexton, he started his playing career with West Ham United in 1948. Playing mainly at inside-forward, he would finish his career with time at Luton Town, Leyton Orient,...
, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
, Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
, John Neal
John Neal (footballer)
John Neal is a former English football player and manager.Neal was a full-back whose playing career included numerous clubs, including Hull City, Southend United and Swindon Town...
, Eddie McCreadie
Eddie McCreadie
Edward Graham "Eddie" McCreadie is a former Scottish footballer who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea. He later became a manager....
and Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
.
One of only three players to play for the West London trio of Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Q.P.R., the others being Roy Bentley
Roy Bentley
Roy Thomas Frank Bentley is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the England national side. He later became a manager...
and Paul Parker.
Life after playing career
Walker finally called time on a 24-year career in 2000 and is currently working as an analyst for the radio station BBC London 94.9BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
. Clive is also now a co-director of Sporting Experience with Jason Cundy
Jason Cundy
Jason Cundy is a former English footballer.-Football career:During his career, Cundy played for Chelsea , Tottenham Hotspur , Crystal Palace , Bristol City , Ipswich Town and...
.
He also makes appearances on Chelsea TV
Chelsea TV
Chelsea TV is a British subscription based sports television channel, dedicated to the fans of the English Premier League football club, Chelsea. The channel first launched in August 2001 on Sky Digital. The station is registered with Ofcom as Chelsea Digital Media Ltd. It broadcasts daily from...
.