Had he been with the Armagh side of 20 years ago, surrounded by talent and the style of football suiting him much more, he would have been a superstar.
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A pity that he was in his prime at a time when Armagh were at a low enough ebb.
A real maverick, throw back to a different era almost.
Would he have fit into the culture of that group though? No doubt he would have been good enough in footballing terms but that Armagh team had some really driven and intense players. Maybe that would have rubbed off on Jamie but get the feeling he would have been seen as a luxury and cast aside
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When Clarke came into the Armagh team they’d won 7 of the previous 11 Ulster titles. It would have seemed reasonable to expect that success would come in an instant for the Crossmaglen espresso, but as it turned out, he arrived too latte. It has often seemed that inter-county football has been a bit of a grind for the coffee devotee, and he has sometimes decided to go Americano for the summer rather than play for Ard Mocha. I wonder will he spill the beans about his exit.
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He’s better off just making his mind up once and for all, this play one year, won’t play the next carry on has been going on for years. Frustrating for managers, team mates and supporters I’d imagine
I think he would have.
The big difference between Armagh and Tyrone back then was depth.
Tyrone could bring guys like Stephen O’Neill and Mulligan off the bench sometimes in big games. Armagh were basically calling on workdogs like Kieran Hughes and Bumpy O’Hagan
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I imagine trying to persuade Clarke to play has costa lot of emotional energy on the part of Kieran McGeeney, who must often have had insomnia wondering whether his star buck would commit for the year. Seems a frank and honest conversation has finally been had and unfortunately the outcome has been a bad one for Armagh.
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It needed a Coffee Annan like figure to mediate there
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At least Gaelic football being an amateur game means there are no contract disputes. The last thing you’d want is baristas getting involved.
I’m sure he would. I saw him play a few club games with Crossmaglen here, he was as driven as any when the game was on. If he was enjoying the game and saw there was titles to be won he would have stuck around alot more. I don’t think you can be as good as he was without being committed, no matter how much natural talent you are blessed with.
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A real talent like Clarke must have found playing modern inter county football to be pure drudgery .
There is more to life than sport and good luck to him .
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Mageeney was right to cut him loose before that type of attitude percolated through the dressing room…
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I wonder will he ever play for Crossmaglen again or has he burnt all his bridges there?
You’d have thought he’d have won a few more Club All Ireland’s over the years. Once McConville retired he never really played much after for them.
Id imagine living in Crossmaglen wouldnt be for Jamie.
A man with Clarke’s sartorial sense would not fit in with the Wrangler jeans Country and Western types of South Armagh
Always thought that was one of the better GAA nicknames 
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The game changed, Jamie didn’t. I respect him more for that.
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