Cliff Birks Explained

Cliff Birks
Fullname:Clifford Birks
Birth Date:13 December 1910
Birth Place:Hanley, Staffordshire, England
Height:5 ft 10 in[1]
Position:Right-half, outside-right
Youthclubs1:Stoke St. Peters
Youthclubs2:Stoke City
Years1:1929–1936
Clubs1:Port Vale
Caps1:58
Goals1:7
Years2:1936–1937
Clubs2:Torquay United
Caps2:1
Goals2:1
Years3:1937–1938
Clubs3:Halifax Town
Caps3:3
Goals3:0
Totalcaps:62
Totalgoals:8

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.

Career

Port Vale

Birks played for Stoke St. Peters and Stoke City, before joining Port Vale in November 1929.[2] 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.[2] 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.[2] 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.[2]

Later career

He joined Torquay United of the Third Division South. He 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.[2]

Career statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale1932–33Second Division2101000220
1933–34Second Division1100000110
1934–35Second Division1140000114
1935–36Second Division1530000153
Total5871000597
Torquay United1936–37Third Division South11001021
Halifax Town1937–38Third Division North20000020
Career total6181010638

Notes and References

  1. News: Torquay United. 'Magpies will do better this time' . Sunday Dispatch Football Guide . London . 23 August 1936 . xi . Newspapers.com.
  2. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 31. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0. .