During the
1897–98 Scottish season, Clarke (who was then referred to as Billy Clark) scored 4 goals from 8 appearances for
Aberdeen in the
Northern League. Clarke was signed to play as an
outside left and it was noted that he could also play as a
centre forward and at inside left. According to the
Lincolnshire Echo, "a considerable sum was paid for his transfer." Clarke was a regular in Lincoln's team in his first season, appearing in 30 of the 34
Second Division matches. He began at outside left, with
George Fern inside him, but after five matches the two changed places. He was ever-present in the side until a match against
Manchester City at
Hyde Road in February 1899: with the scores level at half-time, Lincoln's defence held out for much of the second half, but the hosts scored twice late on, provoking "a degree of unpleasantness, which led to Clarke fouling an opponent badly and being ordered off the field." During April, he played four times in the
half-back line. when Lincoln cancelled his contract and paid his train fare back to the Scottish borders where he had been working over the summer. The
Echo described him as a "rather erratic forward" who "could play when he liked, but the trouble was that he so rarely liked". ==References==