Tommy Clare

Thomas Clare (12 March 1865 – 27 December 1929) was an English international footballer, who played at right-back, and football manager.

He began his playing career with Stoke in July 1884, having moved from Burslem Port Vale. He spent the next 14 years with Stoke, playing 251 games in all competitions, helping them to the Football Alliance title in 1890–91. In 1897, he signed with Manchester City via Port Vale before returning to Vale for three years in 1898, helping them to the Staffordshire Senior Cup on his arrival. He also won four England caps between 1889 and 1894. He was appointed as manager-secretary of Burslem Port Vale in 1905, a position he held for the next six years.

Early and personal life Thomas Clare was born on 12 March 1865 in Congleton, Cheshire. He was the sixth of eleven children to Thomas Charles and Elizabeth Leigh (née Cottrell); his father was an earthenware manufacturer. He worked as an encaustic tile maker and draughtsman in Wolstanton from at least 1881 to 1891. He returned home when his true age and his growing medical problems were discovered in November 1917.

He was captain of the Stoke side that were founder members of the English Football League in 1888. He made his league debut on 8 September 1888, at full-back for Stoke in a 2–0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the Victoria Ground, Stoke. He played 21 of Stoke's 22 Football League matches and was part of a defence line that achieved three clean sheets whilst restricting the opposition to a single goal on four occasions.

Stoke finished at the bottom of the table in both 1888–89 and 1889–90 and in 1890 dropped down to the Football Alliance. Clare was absolved of any blame, though, and referee Tom Bryan stated that "the backs and the goalkeeper are superior to any three men playing with one club". However, in 1898 he re-signed for Vale a second time. He helped the side lift the Staffordshire Senior Cup later in the year as he "inspired a confidence never before approached" in his teammates in the win over West Bromwich Albion. England won the match "quite comfortably" 6–1, with John Yates scoring a hat-trick in his only international appearance.

Clare's next England appearance came three years later, also against Ireland, at the Solitude Ground, Belfast, when he was joined by his Stoke teammates, goalkeeper Bill Rowley and left-back Alf Underwood. Harry Daft of Notts County was awarded the captaincy for the last of his five England appearances and marked the occasion by scoring twice, either side of half-time, in an "unconvincing victory".

Clare played twice more for England, against Wales on 13 March 1893 (won 6–0, with Fred Spiksley scoring twice on his debut) and Scotland on 7 April 1894 (2–2 draw).

Style of play Clare stood at tall and weighed , giving him a physical edge over opposition forwards.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

Year!!Apps!!Goals

Managerial statistics + Managerial record by team and tenure

!!!!!!!!

Stoke Football Alliance: 1890–91