Wharton: Clarence Norman (Norman)

1939-1939 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Askham-in-Furness: 28-07-1903

Debut: Charlton Athletic (h): 30-08-1939

6’1” 12st 4lb (1928)

An electrician by trade, Wharton plated for Askham and then joined his local club, Third Division North side Barrow, in 1920 and made fifty League appearances for them before he went to Second Division Preston North End for a couple of seasons. After thirteen League games at Deepdale, he returned to Barrow in 1927. He played twenty-seven League games in his second spell at Barrow before he was transferred to First Division Sheffield United in the 1928 close season for £250. He was a regular at Bramall Lane and made seventy League appearances. In July 1931 he became a Norwich City player and played one hundred and one games at Carrow Road, and then joined Second Division Doncaster Rovers in May 1935, but played just five League games for them before leaving for Third Division North York City in the summer of 1936. He was almost an ever-present for the Minstermen for three seasons making one hundred and seventeen league appearances. He arrived at Leeds in August 1939, when he was already thirty-six-years-old, and retired from football during the war. The veteran ended a distinguished career with a couple of appearances for Leeds in the truncated 1939-40 season. He was not the most agile of goalkeepers, but one of the bravest and most consistent. He won a Third Division South championship medal with Norwich City in 1933-34, when he was an ever-present. After football he went back to working as an electrician. A keen pianist, Wharton died, aged fifty-seven, on 13th July 1961, in his home town where his seven brothers had all been good Rugby player