Here's one for the Blackpool Quiz Buffs. Which two players signed at Bloomfield Road on the same day that Peter Clarke did taking the player numbers from 8 to 11? Answer coming up.
Five seasons at Huddersfield had seen Clarke become a bit of a Terriers fans favourite (as we saw on the final day for the brief time the players were on the pitch!), however maybe the writing was on the wall when they decided he wasn't good enough for the Championship (a clue to the identity of the other two players, they were also ditched by Championship teams).
Clarke had firmly become a Blackpool favourite picking up the Player of the Season. His signing was seen a bit like the Holy Grail. The message boards at the time were full of the question 'will Peter Clarke return'. Of course he did and enjoyed a decent run of form with us but the chance to play at Southend in the Championship proved too much of a temptation (wise move that one Clarkey). Ironically his departure saw Shaun Barker's arrival and for many he lead the team to promotion back in 2007.
This season Clarke has done a decent enough job at the back but you can't be part of a defence which has conceded 91 goals and claim that you've had a good season. At least he did more at the other end proving arguably a better striker than a defender. There was plenty of talk of an on/off relationship with Lee Clark and it must be a bitter/sweet moment when the man who released you finds himself out of a job less than a week later. Whether this could be a lifeline for Clarke's career at Bloomfield Road remains to be seen.
A nice, honourable lad who wore his heart on his shirt and was always the first to protect the youngsters arrived in July and said ""I return a more experienced player and someone who can hopefully help the younger players and maybe be a bit of a role model for some of them," Well, if nothing else, he fulfilled his mission statement.
Incidentally the other two players who joined on the same day were Tomas Cykwa and Jacob Mellis.