view Clarke's match-by-match record
 
Leon CLARKE

After a loan deal to bring Clarke to the County Ground was reported to have been abandoned due to the striker's wage demands, Clarke was spotted speaking to Town boss Paolo di Canio after Swindon had been beaten at Dagenham and Redbridge. Though di Canio was desperate to sign a big targetman, with Queens Park Rangers in the middle of a takeover deal, progress was slow - that was until the following Friday, when, after their takeover was completed, it was announced that Clarke's contract at Loftus Road had been cancelled by mutual consent - within hours, he was confirmed as a Swindon player, signing a two year contract. The signing came in time for Clarke to make his debut two days later - and he was thrust straight into the team for the local derby against Oxford - and though he provided the physical presence up front that di Canio was after, the Town slipped to a 2-1 defeat.

Nine days later, Clarke was to make his final appearance for the club. After starting in a Carling Cup victory at Bristol City and a defeat at Shrewsbury - both games in which Clarke was substituted due to a lack of match fitness - Clarke played the full ninety minutes as Southampton knocked the Town out of the Carling Cup in the Second Round - but as he left the pitch, the new Town striker was seen arguing with fitness coach Claudio Donatelli. As di Canio approached him with a consolatory arm, Clarke pushed the Town boss away as he continued to protest about the training regime - when the pair eventually got into the tunnel, television cameras captured pictures of an altercation in which it appeared that punches were thrown. Clarke made his way back onto the pitch, where he spent fifteen minutes talking to chairman Jeremy Wray before leaving the ground in full kit. After the chairman backed his manager, and TV footage proved di Canio's side of the argument, the Town boss was quick to state that Clarke had played his last game for Swindon - revealing that the striker had told his agent that he had wanted to leave two days before the game, and though he had seen Clarke's bad attitude first hand since he had signed, he had looked past it in an attempt to integrate him into the squad.

Almost as soon as the loan transfer window was opened, Clarke agreed a 93-day spell at League One Chesterfield, before releasing a statement to the press apologising to Swindon's fans, players and directors, but denying di Canio's version of the events. Clarke scored nine goals in fourteen league games with the relegation-threatened Spierites, attracting the interest of promotion chasing Charlton, for whom he signed in January in a player-exchange that saw Paul Benson move to the County Ground. Incredibly, his stay at The Valley didn't last long either - making just seven appearances before moving on again for a loan spell at Crawley.

PLAYING RECORD:

Season LEAGUE FA CUP LEAGUE CUP OTHER TOTAL
Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls
'11/'12 2 - - - 2 - - - 4 -
TOTAL 2 - - - 2 - - - 4 -


TRANSFER INFORMATION:

DATE IN/OUT TRANSFER DETAIL
19 AUG 2011 IN Queens Park Rangers
(unattached)
8 SEP 2011 OUT Chesterfield
(loan)
9 DEC 2011 IN Chesterfield
(loan return)
1 JAN 2012 OUT Charlton Athletic
Exchange for Paul BENSON


full name

Leon Marvin Clarke


 ENGLAND

date of birth
10 February 1985


           
             
             
             
             
             

usual positions
centre forward

youth career
Wolverhampton W.

senior career
Wolverhampton W.
Kidderminster Harriers (loan)
Queens Park Rangers (loan)
Plymouth Argyle (loan)
Sheffield Wednesday
Oldham Athletic (loan)
Southend United (loan)
Queens Park Rangers
Preston North End (loan)
SWINDON TOWN
Chesterfield (loan)
Charlton Athletic
Crawley Town (loan)
Coventry City (loan)
Coventry City
Wolverhampton W.
Wigan Athletic (loan)
Bury
Sheffield United
Wigan Athletic (loan)
Shrewsbury Town