Reginald Leonard Clarke (4 September 1907 – 1981), sometimes known as Nobby Clarke or Reg Clarke, was an English professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who made over 310 appearances as a

wing half In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

for

Exeter City Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third level of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...

. He is a member of the club's Hall of Fame.

Personal life

In 1936, Clarke became the

landlord A landlord is the owner of property such as a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate that is rented or leased to an individual or business, known as a tenant (also called a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). The term landlord appli ...

of The Volunteer Inn

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

Ottery St Mary Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery", is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, about east of Exeter on the B3174. At the 2001 census, the parish, w ...

, which, due to his

contract stipulating that players were forbidden to be involved in the

licensing A license (American English) or licence ( Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another par ...

trade, necessitated his departure from the club. After retiring from football, he ran The King's Arms pub in Seaton and was a club official at Seaton Town.

Honours

Friernhay * Devon Senior Cup: 1925–26 Individual *

Hall of Fame

References

1907 births 1981 deaths Footballers from Exeter English men's footballers Men's association football wing halves Exeter City F.C. players Aldershot F.C. players Torquay United F.C. wartime guest players Leeds United F.C. wartime guest players Clapton Orient F.C. wartime guest players English Football League players British publicans 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-footy-midfielder-1900s-stub