Player Database: Clive Mendonca

By: Richard Hubbert
Date: 14/07/2002

Undoubtedly Town's most prolific striker of the 1990s, "Super Clive" unfortunately retired from the game in 2002 after a string of bad injuries. In truth, he did well to play on after a car accident in 1995 that sidelined him for over a year. But when Clive was on the pitch he was class - his goal poaching and awareness of other players meant he was a tremendous asset to the Town team. He was signed by Alan Buckley in 1992 for a bargain £50,000 from Sheffield United, after a loan spell previous to then, and it proved money well worth spending, despite the fact that he was sidelined for nearly two seasons. His best season came when Town were relegated and he scored 20 goals - a season that was to be his last at Blundell Park. It is ironic that when Town had a class striker they failed to keep him because of the failings of the rest of the team - causing relegation and his sale to Charlton.

Town fans all have their memories of Clive - his prolific last season and his hat trick on his return from being a year out in 1996 against Ipswich are just a few. But his career at Charlton was watched with interest and fondness by most Town fans - few people will forget when he scored a hat trick at Wembley in the play off final and another three against Southampton in the Premiership in one of his first games in the Premiership. Had Clive been able to stay fit for another few years who knows what would have happened, but few would doubt the ability he had and how much Town miss that on the pitch in the present day.

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