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Personal

Fullname: John Clark
aka: "The Brush", "Luggie"
Born: March 13, 1941
Birthplace: Larkhall, Lanarkshire
Position: Defender/Sweeper (hence "The Brush" nickname)
Signed: 1958
Departed (as player): 1971
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 4 Caps

Biog

John Clark is a member of the glorious Lisbon Lions who won the European Cup back in 1967 and has one of the longest records of anyone with first team involvement with Celtic in playing and coaching.

At seventeen, John Clark was approached by Celtic to sign him as a player. “I was fortunate enough that Celtic approached me to sign for the club. I was seventeen at the time and I felt as though I had won the pools!”. It was to be even greater than that.

He is perhaps the most undervalued player among the Lisbon Lions team, his subtle sweeping up in the half-back position beside Billy McNeill was integral to their success. Many people say that it was John Clark who made Billy McNeill the great player he was on the pitch, although fairer to say that each complimented each other.

He played for Larkhall Thistle before moving to Parkhead in 1958. The early years of Clark's playing career as a wing-half showed few signs of his later glory. He first attracted attention after scoring the only goal on his debut in a Cup tie replay against Hibernian in 1961 where he deputised for the injured Celtic Captain Bertie Peacock. Sadly the injury took it's toll and Bertie didn't play for Celtic again. John's performance won him a place in the Cup Final.

But it was the arrival of Jock Stein at Celtic Park that marked the transformation for Clark's career. Stein employed him as sweeper behind Billy McNeill and he never looked back. Clark was a quiet, down-to-earth character and his cool head was one of his best attributes. A defender through and through, some even joked that he needed a map any time he crossed the half-way line. His role as Celtic's sweeper earned him the nickname "The Brush"!

He played an important role in the European Cup final in 1967, a day not to forget for anyone. Not an easy task to play Inter Milan at that point, and it was likely a lesson on defence from the masters in the opposition for Clark as much as anything else. We won and he got to get his hands on the trophy.

John Clarke had it particularly difficult to keep his place with young whipper snappers from the "Quality Street Gang" behind him. He lost his regular place to Jim Brogan in 1968 (the first of the Lisbon Lions to sadly do so) and with the other competition he was down in the pegging order.

In the summer of 1971 Clark left Celtic for Morton with team-mate Stevie Chalmers, where he retired two years later. He played in the Scottish League twice and won four caps for Scotland. He then teamed up with McNeill as his assistant manager at Aberdeen and Celtic, reflecting the respect and due that McNeill had for Clarke for their time playing together.

Clark enjoyed a managerial career with Cowdenbeath, Stranraer and Clyde in the 1980s and early 90s. Since then he has been a kit-man for the first team and has been a very popular member of the Celtic backroom team. He worked alongside Martin O'Neill and one of the manager's main requests was for John to tell old tales about the Lisbon Lions and in particular about Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone.
Only Willie Maley has given more years to Celtic in terms of "length of service". A truly remarkable Celtic Man whom more should recognise for all the time and effort he has put into the club without asking for anything in return.

Outwith of Scotland, his talent didn't get unnoticed either. A fine debut performance for Scotland v Brazil in 1966 left a good impression on one of the opposition, so much so that on bumping into John Clarke again a few years later, the player recognised him at once. The Brazilian player in question? None other than Pele!

His son Martin also became a professional footballer, with Clyde, Nottingham Forest and Partick Thistle in the 1990s.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

European Cup

• 1966-67

Scottish Division One

• [needs checked]
  

Scottish Cup

• 1965, 1967, 1969,

Scottish League Cup

• [needs checked]
  

Quotes

Celtic has been my life and I have worked here in every decade over 50 years, around 37 years in total. It meant a great deal to me as a youngster, because you can only thrive if you are a Celtic supporter, who gets the opportunity to play for the club, it’s every supporter’s ambition. I am just so fortunate that I have had the opportunity to play and work here, but I never thought that I would I enjoy such a long association with the club and could never have imagined, when I signed, the success we would have under such a great manager as Jock Stein. He pushed us to be the best we could be and drove us to the greatest honour that any club can win. It’s been a major part of my life and as I said, I always attach that word ‘luck’ to me and Celtic."
John Clark (2008)

Pictures

• John Clark pictures

Links

• Lisbon Lions

Articles

• John Clark (the Winning Zine)
  

Anecdotes

Jock Stein and John Clark - The Morton Signing On Fee.

When Lisbon Lion John Clark left Celtic to play out his final footballing years with Morton it was agreed that John would receive a small signing on fee from Morton as a thank you for his services to Celtic.

Hal Stewart the then Morton Chairman reneged on this agreement and Morton wouldn't pay John the agreed sum.

Eventually Jock Stein got wind of this and was far from happy about the treatment of one of his players. When Morton drew Celtic in a Cup game at Celtic Park as was the way for Cup games in those days the gate receipts were halved and Jock utilised this opportunity to sort out matters.Jock arranged that John Clark's signing on fee be deducted from Morton's share of the gate and John was subsequently paid the money he was due by Morton albeit it came from Celtic

Hal Stewart could do nothing about it and had to accept that Jock had put him in his place and got one over on him..

They didn't come much shrewder than Jock Stein and his morals and deep seated Lanarkshire mining roots ensured that he was looking after one of his own.