John Wark
Scottish midfielder who starred for Ipswich Town, Liverpool, and Middlesbrough, and scored 14 goals in the 1980–81 UEFA Cup.
John Wark (born 4 August 1957) is a Scottish former footballer who spent most of his playing time with Ipswich Town. He won a record four Player of the Year awards before becoming one of the four inaugural members of the club's Hall of Fame. Wark had long spells at the club, which bookended his career, and a third, brief interlude dividing his briefer periods at Liverpool and Middlesbrough. A versatile player, Wark played most of his professional games as a midfielder, although he sometimes played as a central defender and on occasion as a striker.
- Role
- Midfielder (left-sided, creative)
- Nationality
- Scottish
- Era at Leicester
- Early-to-mid 1980s
- Signature skill
- Curling free kicks and set-piece delivery
- Previous club
- Aberdeen
- Next club
- Tottenham Hotspur
Lore & Background
Born in Glasgow, Wark represented Scotland in international football, winning 29 caps and scoring seven goals. This included selection for Scotland in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in which he made three appearances and scored twice. During his playing career, Wark appeared in the film Escape to Victory. Since retiring as a professional player in 1996, he has continued to work for Ipswich Town—since September 2008 in the corporate hospitality department. His autobiography, Wark On, was published in 2009.
In Their Own Story
The November air hangs thick over Filbert Street, the kind that makes the floodlights bloom into haloes above the terraces. Wark stands over the ball, twenty-three yards out, just inside the arc. He taps it twice, three times. The crowd — a sea of claret and blue — falls into that particular hush that only a Wark free kick can summon. He takes his run, short and deliberate, and strikes. The ball leaves his left foot with a sharp crack, spiralling high and wide before bending cruelly inward. The keeper dives, fingertips grazing the leather. It kisses the underside of the crossbar and drops into the net. The away end goes silent. The home end detonates. Wark doesn't celebrate. He simply turns, jogs back to midfield, and waits for the next phase, as if he has done this a hundred times before. He has, in a sense.
Reader's Guide
Wark started his career at Ipswich in the youth team, initially playing at left back before moving to the centre of defence and occasionally occupying the right back position. He signed up as a professional for the club on his 17th birthday. He made his first-team debut on 27 March 1975 in the 3–2 FA Cup 6th round (3rd replay) victory over Leeds United; the game was played at Leicester City's Filbert Street. He later moved to Liverpool for £450,000 on 10 March 1984, then had a spell at Middlesbrough, and returned to Ipswich. He set a UEFA Cup record by scoring 14 goals in the 1980–81 season, including two in the final.
Did You Know?
- Wark's debut was played at Leicester City's Filbert Street, but he never played for Leicester City.
- He scored 36 goals in the 1980–81 season and won the PFA Player of the Year award.
- Wark's father secured employment at Albion Motors after the family moved to Scotstoun.
- He was a lifelong Rangers fan but signed for Ipswich Town after a trial.
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