Ike the Albion reject became an all-time great at Portsmouth
Tipton lad who became a League champion in his thirties
AT the age of 32, Albion striker Ike Clarke must have thought his career was on winddown. In fact, it was about to take off.
The Baggies, then in the second tier of English football, sold Ike – short for Isaac – to top flight-side Portsmouth for £5,000. Some sources suggested he had been bought as cover for centre-forward Duggie Reid but Pompey manager Bob Jackson had other ideas.
Rather than be a bit-part player, Ike, a Tipton lad, would become a key member of the best side in Pompey’s history. Transferred in November 1947, Ike made his debut two days later against Aston Villa at Fratton Park. He scored as his side raced into a 2-0 lead, only to lose 4-2.
Ike had a good run in the First Division but was not a first choice when the 1948-9 season began. Injuries meant he came into the side first as deputy for former Wolves inside-forward Bert Barlow and then for centre-forward Reid. So well did he do that he could not be dropped and he and fit-again Reid became a twin strike force. In 24 league appearances, Ike hit 14 goals as Pompey were crowned champions.
The following season Portsmouth retained the title, though only on goal average ahead of Wolves, and Ike was top scorer with 17 goals from 37 league games. As Pompey closed in on the title, Ike scored eight goals in a spell of nine games towards the end of the season.
That run came after Pompey’s Double hopes had ended at Highbury, where Second Division Leicester City caused an upset, beating them 3-1 in the FA Cup semi-final. There was, of course, no upset in the final where Wolves beat Leicester by the same score.
Ike’s partnership with Reid continued in the 1950-1 season and it brought his selection for an FA tour to Australia. A gruelling trip included five Test matches, one of which ended 17-1 to the England side in Sydney. Ike hit four that day and Sheffield Wednesday’s future England international Jackie Sewell grabbed six.
The emergence of future Wolves man Jackie Henderson the following season meant Ike’s days at Fratton Park were numbered. He left in 1953 to become player-manager of Yeovil Town, having hit 58 goals in 129 games for Portsmouth. Ike took Yeovil to the Southern League premier division title in 1954-5.
Ike later moved to Sittingbourne and guided them to the Kent League title in 1957-8, retaining it the following season.
A late-comer into professional football, Ike had played for Princes End Baptists, Coseley Juniors and Toll End Wesley before signing for Albion at the age of 22 in 1937. He quickly clinched a first-team place but Albion were a struggling side and finished bottom of the First Division.
Their first attempt to gain promotion saw Albion top of the Second Division at Christmas, only to finish tenth after a fadeout in the second half of the season. Ike contributed 14 of Albion’s respectable total of 74 goals. Alas, the defence leaked 91.
In wartime games, Ike hit 58 goals and in the 1944-5 season he was Albion’s top scorer with 29, including five hat-tricks. When league football resumed after the war – in the 1946-7 season – Ike played alongside centre-forward Dave
Walsh. However, Ike’s goal touch deserted him at the start of the next season, as he failed to score in 12 games.
Ike was dropped and lost his place to new signing from Airdrieonians, Peter Mckennan. It was reported that Wolves’ assistant manager Stan Cullis had run the rule over Ike but nothing came of it.
As Albion continued their bid for top-flight football, Ike got his chance of it with the move to Portsmouth. A promising baptism in the 1947-8 season was followed by those championship medals in successive campaigns. Quite a feat for a Tipton striker seen by Albion as surplus to requirements.
That sort of thing could never happen again – or could it?