Cliff Birks
Clifford Birks (born 13 December 1910 – 1998) was an English professional footballer who played as both a right-half and at outside-right for Stoke City, Port Vale, Torquay United and Halifax Town in the 1930s.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clifford Birks[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1910[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Hanley, Staffordshire, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 1998 (aged 87–88) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-half, outside-right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Stoke St. Peters | |||
| Stoke City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1929–1936 | Port Vale | 58 | (7) |
| 1936–1937 | Torquay United | 1 | (1) |
| 1937–1938 | Halifax Town | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 62 | (8) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career edit
Port Vale edit
Birks played for Stoke St. Peters and Stoke City, before joining Port Vale in November 1929.[1] He made his debut on 27 December 1932, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic at The Old Recreation Ground, and made 21 Second Division appearances and one FA Cup appearance in the 1932–33 season.[1] He featured 11 times in the 1933–34 and 1934–35 campaigns, scoring four goals in the last five games of the 1934–35 season.[1] He scored three goals in 15 league games in the 1935–36 season, finding himself on the score-sheet against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, but was released in May 1936.[1]
Later career edit
He joined Torquay United of the Third Division South, but was kept out of the side due to the form of Fred Beedall and George Daniels in the 1936–37 campaign; Birks made his "Gulls" debut at Plainmoor on 16 January 1937, scoring in the 4–1 defeat to Southend United. However, this was to be his only appearance for Torquay and he left to join Halifax Town for the following season. He played just three Third Division North games for Halifax before leaving both The Shay and the English Football League. During the war he guested for Leicester City.[1]
Career statistics edit
Source:[3]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Port Vale | 1932–33 | Second Division | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 1933–34 | Second Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1934–35 | Second Division | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | |
| 1935–36 | Second Division | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | |
| Total | 58 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 7 | ||
| Torquay United | 1936–37 | Third Division South | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Halifax Town | 1937–38 | Third Division North | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 61 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 8 | ||
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 31. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
- ^ "Torquay United. 'Magpies will do better this time'". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. xi – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cliff Birks at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)