Newcastle United were proven massively wrong when they let a player they deemed surplus to requirements at St. James’ Park due to their age go on and lift the European Cup in 1979.
While the Magpies have enjoyed success in Europe in their history, winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, they have never gotten close to lifting the continent’s elite prize.
Frank Clark did in 1979, though, after Newcastle let him go in 1975. Having spent 13 years of his career at Newcastle, the club’s board decided that, at 31, Clark didn’t have anything left to offer. Over the next four years Clark proceeded to prove them extemely wrong.
Newcastle let go Frank Clark for being too old – four years later he won the European Cup
“I was 31 when the Newcastle board decided I was over the hill,” Clark exclusively tells FourFourTwo. “I’d played 400-odd games and thought I still had a lot to offer. Brian Clough asked me to join Nottingham Forest, who were a fairly average Second Division team at the time.
We finished third in Division Two [in 1976/77], which was a miracle in itself. Cloughie had engineered it so that we’d finished our fixtures before everyone else, so on the last day of the season, all of us were on a plane to Majorca at 3pm. Upon landing, we were told that Bolton hadn’t won and so we were up. The rest, as they say, is history.”
In just four years at Forest Clark enjoyed great success, earning promotion to the First Division before winning it in 1977/78, two League Cups and the European Cup. He proved an integral member of Clough’s side, too, playing a key role in defence throughout his four years at the City Ground.
“After signing for Forest, I played 108 consecutive matches, which wasn’t a bad way of answering Newcastle’s accusation that I was past it,” Clarks says. “I played in the League Cup final when we beat Liverpool and picked up a medal when we won the league title, despite some injury issues.
“Most importantly of all, I was in the starting line-up the next season [1978/79] when we beat Malmo to win the European Cup final. Cloughie thought about putting Ian Bowyer at left-back for that match. The day before the game itself, it was between myself, Archie Gemmill and Martin O’Neill for the last place. Fortunately for me, I got the nod, with Ian moving into midfield.
That European Cup final win against Malmo in Munich ultimately proved Clark’s final game as a professional, with the Englishman retiring aged 35 when the opportunity to move into coaching proved too great a pull.
“It wasn’t really planned,” Clark admits. “I actually had another year left on my Forest contract when Sunderland boss Ken Knighton phoned and asked me to become his assistant manager.
“I was still enjoying my football, but this was an excellent opportunity not only to get on the coaching ladder, but to move back to the North East with a big club. Cloughie tried to talk me out of it and even offered me another year, but Forest had bought Frank Gray so I knew that I wouldn’t be first choice.”
