[Lord Snooty]

October 27:

The Great Unbeatable Town Manager, Lee Clark was born on this date in 1972 in Wallsend, thus making him 50 years old today.

He was the nearly man for us. Nearly got us promoted and nearly chinned every reporter who dared to ask him anything that was a bit, errm, well anything at all really. Them lot at Radio Leeds detested the bloke. 

His time with us is most famous for the unbeaten run of regular league games, which went as far as 43, beating the record set by Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough. The main criticism of this record by the fans was that we didn't show up for the Play Off Final against the Pish and that should've been included because, in all fairness, it is an EFL match, innit?

Another bug bear was that there were too many draws in there and that we played more to avoid defeat rather than going out to win games. Well that's slightly unfair. He has the biggest win percentage of any permanent Town manager since the 1920s. Only Ambrose Langley, Herbert Chapman and Cecil Potter can better his 48.59%.

So, the nearly man. Got us to the Play Offs in 09/10 and 10/11 and was inside the top 6 for a third crack at it when Dean Hoyle suddenly called an end to his time and appointed Simon Grayson, who then went and got us promoted.

Lee's team was brilliant though, exciting to watch, probably the best since Mick Buxton was here and he really should've had us up. But that's football for you.

After us, he's been around a few clubs without much sucess. His Wikipedia page has him down as a Play Off winner though. That was at Kilmarnock when his team won the 2016 Scottish Premiership Play Off, beating Falkirk in a two legged final. Not really that big an achievement though as they were the team from the bottom end of the Premiership, playing off to avoid relegation rather than win promotion.

I reckon that's the best way to have a play off. Just my personal opinion. If you get to the Play Offs, but can't beat the team who's from the bottom of the division above, you don't really deserve to go up. That's how the Football League Play Offs started, but obviously money talks and the alternative was a lucrative Wembley Final with the opportunity to cream more money off gullible supporters, who will follow their team on what's called a big day out. Rip off London bastards is what I call it.

Sorry, went off on a rant there.

Clarky has been out in the Middle East for the last few years and is currently out of work. If Fothers got the boot tomorrow and Leigh Bromby announced that a former manager was coming back, would you be happy if it turned out not to be David Wagner, but Lee Clark instead?