timbo
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QUO fan 4life.
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Post by timbo on Oct 18, 2010 7:18:13 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2010 8:52:48 GMT
In this Torquay v Barrow programme there’s a reference to Norman Clarke doing well for the reserves topped off with a cheery “keep it up, young Nobby”.
So what is/was it with people called Clark(e) being nicknamed “Nobby”? When I was little we had a neighbour (probably born around 1900) called Nobby Clarke and I long thought it was unique to him. Then, much later, I came across references to other Nobby Clarkes.
According to Wikipedia:
Nobby Clark
The explanation given for the use of this nickname is that clerks (pronounced "clarks" in British English) in the City of London used to wear Nobby hats, a type of bowler hat. Alternative spellings include "Knobby" and "Clarke".
An alternative explanation for the name Nobby attached to the surname Clarke is thus: 16th century monks wrote letters for the illiterate. These monks were referred to as "Clerks". The outcome of so much writing causes calluses on the fingers "nobs" and therefore "Nobby Clerks" was born.
In England the term "nob" is used to refer to a member of the aristocracy and by extension a posh person. A clerk would deal with the common people but would be better educated, better paid and in a position of relative power. To the uneducated, clerks were posh and therefore considered to be "nobs". Hence, nobby Clark. Clerks were also required to maintain a high standard of dress, and were paid a clothing allowance. The result was that they always appeared smart. Both the Oxford English and the English Dialect Dictionaries list nobby as being of a rich man, a nob or toff, or “smart”, and gives it a wide distribution, so smart persons were "nobby".
Nobby Clark is also cockney rhyming slang for a shark.
Soldiers of the Canadian Forces seem to have picked up this nickname as well during the 20th Century.
Examples include:
• Edward Winchester Clark, famous cricket player.
• William Clarke (cryptographer), British cryptographer
• Major Francis Herbert Clarke, a company commander with the Calgary Highlanders in the Second World War.
• Flight Lieutenant Fred Clarke, a pilot with 414 Squadron, RCAF, in the Second World War.
• J.m. "Knobby" Clarke, one of the first mechanics with the Ontario Provincial Air Service in the 1920s.
• Gordon "Nobby" Clark, former singer of Scottish band Bay City Rollers.
• Nobby Clark (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey player
• Nobby Nobbs, Discworld Character
• Nobby Clark (footballer) who played for Partick Thistle and Queen of the South and managed Queen of the South and Stranraer F.C.
Sadly, no reference to our Norman there.
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Post by nickmc67 on Nov 21, 2010 15:10:25 GMT
Norman (Nobby) Clarke was my Dad and joined Torquay from Aston Villa in the 1950's following a knee injury. He played for Torquay before Transferring to Bridgwater Town. He was always called 'Nobby' He passed away in 1997 but even his headstone bears the name Norman 'Nobby' Clarke.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Nov 21, 2010 20:44:21 GMT
Norman (Nobby) Clarke was my Dad and joined Torquay from Aston Villa in the 1950's following a knee injury. He played for Torquay before Transferring to Bridgwater Town. He was always called 'Nobby' He passed away in 1997 but even his headstone bears the name Norman 'Nobby' Clarke. It's always good to hear from an old player's son. "Nobby" was an England Youth International, wasn't he? He goes down in history as part of the greatest TUFC team ever - playing regularly at left-half throughout the second half of the fateful 1956/57 season when we missed out on promotion to the Second Division to Alf Ramsey's Ipswich on goal average. After this incredible start "Nobby" seemed to be in and out of the first team in the next two seasons before moving on. I'm not sure, but I think this may have been due to recurring injury problems. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 20:48:38 GMT
It's always good to hear from an old player's son. "Nobby" was an England Youth International, wasn't he? contained a list of England youth internationals between 1947 and 1975. You can see Nobby Clarke's name in this extract along with a number of others of interest:  |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Nov 22, 2010 23:49:54 GMT
I spy three TUFC players, a World Cup winning 106 cap legend, an England international who died tragically young and a Test Match cricketer! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2010 23:52:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2010 7:58:29 GMT
I spy three TUFC players, a World Cup winning 106 cap legend, an England international who died tragically young and a Test Match cricketer! And an Amateur Cup/European Cup winner. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Nov 23, 2010 23:36:25 GMT
And an Amateur Cup/European Cup winner. Frank Clark. That is a bizarre double, isn't it? |
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Post by Budleigh on Nov 30, 2010 21:59:23 GMT
I have previously posted this programme from the Western League game on the 14th of November 1960 in which Nobby Clarke played for Bridgwater at home against his old club Torquay United. But in case others missed it, including Nobby’s son, and to tie-in with this story, I’m putting the cover and team line-ups here. The rest of it is in the Archive Room. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Feb 3, 2018 12:55:16 GMT
To celebrate the return of Timbo's wonderful programme archive, here is the first time Barrow made the trek South to Plainmoor - 59 years ago. |
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Post by Royboy on May 22, 2020 17:52:46 GMT
Norman (Nobby) Clarke was my Dad and joined Torquay from Aston Villa in the 1950's following a knee injury. He played for Torquay before Transferring to Bridgwater Town. He was always called 'Nobby' He passed away in 1997 but even his headstone bears the name Norman 'Nobby' Clarke. It's always good to hear from an old player's son. "Nobby" was an England Youth International, wasn't he? He goes down in history as part of the greatest TUFC team ever - playing regularly at left-half throughout the second half of the fateful 1956/57 season when we missed out on promotion to the Second Division to Alf Ramsey's Ipswich on goal average. After this incredible start "Nobby" seemed to be in and out of the first team in the next two seasons before moving on. I'm not sure, but I think this may have been due to recurring injury problems. |
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Post by stewart on May 22, 2020 23:41:36 GMT
It's always good to hear from an old player's son. "Nobby" was an England Youth International, wasn't he? He goes down in history as part of the greatest TUFC team ever - playing regularly at left-half throughout the second half of the fateful 1956/57 season when we missed out on promotion to the Second Division to Alf Ramsey's Ipswich on goal average. After this incredible start "Nobby" seemed to be in and out of the first team in the next two seasons before moving on. I'm not sure, but I think this may have been due to recurring injury problems. Jon, whatever Royboy intended to say is unknown, but even though you expressed that view almost ten years ago, you surely didn't still believe even then that Ron, Sam et al in 1956/57 were our greatest team ever? True, they did come so close to promotion to Division 2, but player for player there have been other far superior teams. I would suggest that the promotion winning teams of 1959/60 and 1967/68, among others, had undeniably better players. I should be more than happy to compare all three teams man for man should you so insist. Moreover, if I were asked to compile a composite team from all three seasons, it would be: Gill; John Bond, Alan Smith; Benson, Bettany, John Smith; Baxter, Collins, Stubbs, Mills, Scott. So, sadly, no room for Ron Shaw, but Larry Baxter was the best right winger the club has ever had. |
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Post by royboy216 on May 23, 2020 7:23:21 GMT
Norman (Nobby) Clarke was my Dad and joined Torquay from Aston Villa in the 1950's following a knee injury. He played for Torquay before Transferring to Bridgwater Town. He was always called 'Nobby' He passed away in 1997 but even his headstone bears the name Norman 'Nobby' Clarke. It's always good to hear from an old player's son. "Nobby" was an England Youth International, wasn't he? He goes down in history as part of the greatest TUFC team ever - playing regularly at left-half throughout the second half of the fateful 1956/57 season when we missed out on promotion to the Second Division to Alf Ramsey's Ipswich on goal average. After this incredible start "Nobby" seemed to be in and out of the first team in the next two seasons before moving on. I'm not sure, but I think this may have been due to recurring injury problems. |
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Post by Royboy216 on May 23, 2020 8:20:12 GMT
"Nobby" Norman Clarke, captained England Youth, heres a chronological details list.
1934 , Born 31 Oct , Birmingham
1949 Under Aston VillasWing Captained Aston Schoolboys to their best run in England Schools trophy.
1952 An Amateur with Aston Villa , he walked into the “Birmingham County Youth Team”
1952 January selected for England Youth v Scotland Youth 7th Feb 1953, England 0-3 down at half time, rallied and turned the game around thanks to 2 goals from Clarke to win 4-3, one of the goals he scored was the winning goal, a shot from 25 yards.
Also playing for England shoolboys at this time was 15 year old Duncan Edwards.
1952 (March 1st report) Norman Clarke (Villa0 and Malcolm Spencer (Wolves) in England Youth side that beat Wales 6-0.
1954 December 20th, signs professional with Aston Villa, 3 days after being demobbed from the Army.
1955 January 15th, Birmingham gazette says Norman Clarke , 20 year old England Youth International is expected to make his League debut against full strength Portsmouth at Fratton Park today. If he plays he will take over from Amos Moss at left Half.
1955 Feb 5th Aston Villa debut at Right Half, replacing Baxter who has flu.(Away game at Charlton)
1955 Feb 5th. Daily Mirror Newspaper reports meet the boy who will be better than Danny Blanchflower ever was. Built on the same lines as Blanchflower, though not quite as tall.
1956 January 21st. Norman Clarke Villa Wing Half, has given up the position held as the representative of a London Sports equipment firm. He will soon be starting to take an active interest in a family business. (Sounds like sponsorship ended).
1956 July 25th transferred to Torquay for a small fee
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