Willie Clarke: Villa’s first black player

Villa supporters of a certain age love a touch of nostalgia, fondly regaling memories of their favourite games and players to anyone who cares to listen.

But no-one can claim to have seen the club’s first black player in action, even though some older fans were convinced it was Stan Horne, who played half-a-dozen first-team games during the 1963/64 season.

The fact is, though, that over 60 years earlier, Villa’s right-winger Willie Clarke created a piece of English football history when he became the first non-white player to score in a Football League match.

Clarke, whose father Alexander was born in British Guiana, achieved the feat on Christmas Day 1901, in a 3-2 victory over Everton at Villa Park, a few months after joining us from Southern League club Bristol Rovers. 

Born in Mauchline, East Ayrshire, in March 1878, William Gibb Clarke was on the books of Scottish clubs Third Lanark and East Stirlingshire, without making a first-team appearance for either, before moving to Bristol in 1900.

He joined us the following summer as a replacement for star winger Charlie Athersmith, who had moved across the city to sign for newly-promoted Small Heath after scoring 86 goals in 311 Villa games.

It was a hard act to follow and Clarke never quite made the impact Villa had hoped for. Even so, all five of his goals helped the team to victories.

After netting in the festive fixture against the Merseysiders, he was on target again as Villa beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 three days later – and again in January, in a 2-0 home win over Bury. He also scored in a 2-1 success at Middlesbrough in March 1902 and a 2-0 home win against Stoke 13 months later.

His 42^nd and final appearance for the club came as Villa beat Wolves 3-0 at home in April 1905.

That summer, he signed for Bradford City, playing over 100 games for the Yorkshire club before finishing his professional career with Lincoln City. He died in 1949.

#BlackHistoryMonth