David Cork

David Cork (born 28 October 1962) is an English former professional footballer who made 200 appearances in the Football League for Arsenal, Huddersfield Town, West Bromwich Albion, Scunthorpe United and Darlington in the 1980s and early 1990s. He played as a forward or midfielder.

Career David Cork was born on 29 October 1962 in Doncaster, in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire. He played representative football at district and county schools level, and had a trial with his home-town club, Doncaster Rovers, before signing schoolboy forms with Arsenal in 1978. He turned professional in 1980, and the same year spent time on loan at Swedish second-tier club GAIS. Mainly a reserve-team player during his time at Arsenal, Cork helped them win the Football Combination title in 1983–84. and finished the season with eight goals from 38 league appearances. Two of his nine goals in the 1986–87 season came in a 3–0 win at home to Millwall in the final fixture, which Huddersfield had needed to win to be sure of avoiding relegation. Against a background of changes at managerial and board level, the team spent much of 1987–88 in the relegation places. Cork played in the club-record 10–1 loss to Manchester City, and was transfer-listed at his own request in March 1988.

He spent a month on loan to West Bromwich Albion of the Second Division in September and October 1988, and had a trial with First Division Norwich City later in the year, before joining Mick Buxton at Scunthorpe United in February 1989 on a non-contract basis.

Cork then moved into non-league football with Darlington. He missed only one match as Darlington won the 1989–90 Conference title and with it promotion to the Fourth Division, and scored 12 league goals, including an eight-minute hat-trick against Boston United for whose second element he variously "wrong-footed", "cut inside" and "bamboozled" opponents "and sent his shot into the net from the narrowest of angles". Manager Brian Little said he "always loved Corky, he would always be able to do something different". First Division

1983–84 Second Division

1986–87 Football Conference

1990–91 Football Conference

Honours Arsenal Reserves Football Combination: 1983–84

Darlington Football Conference: 1989–90 Football League Fourth Division: 1990–91