Former Port Vale defender Clinton Boulton passes away
Clinton Boulton passes away: local media in Torquay have announced the death of former Port Vale FC defender Clinton Boulton at the age of 72.
A report in the local media read:
Torquay United has lost one of its most versatile and popular players with the death of 1970s stalwart Clint Boulton.
Boulton, 72, died suddenly while playing golf on Friday, just over 41 years since he made his final appearance for the Gulls, a 1-0 FA Cup win at Gravesend and Northfleet in November 1979.
Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Boulton forced his way into Port Vale’s first team as a teenager. At only 16 he became the Valiants’ youngest-ever scorer and then, at 18, the youngest captain in their history under the managership of the great Sir Stanley Matthews.
After being an ever-present in Vale’s 1970 Fourth Division promotion team under future Blackburn and Everton boss Gordon Lee, Boulton was bought by Third Division Torquay for £10,000 in November 1971.
He had already played 267 games for Vale and he went to make 286 appearances and score 36 goals for United over the next eight years.
Boulton began his career at Port Vale and made over 250 appearances before moving to Torquay. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.
Our thanks to Clint’s friend Friday Boy for this photo of Clinton:
About Clinton Boulton
Locally-born Clinton Boulton progressed through the Port Vale junior ranks to make it into the first team. He made his first team debut during the 1964-65 season and turned professional in 1965. The defender also scored his first goal in 1965 which at 17 made him the club’s youngest goalscorer. Boulton established himself in the Valiants defence by 1966 and was a member of the 1969-1970 Port Vale promotion side under manager Gordon Lee. He was an ever-present as the Vale were promoted into the Third Division.
After over 250 games for the Vale, he joined Torquay United in November 1971 for a fee of £10,000. He was named the Torquay player of the year in 1976. He was awarded a testimonial by Torquay and he later had a spell for non-league side Minehead. His playing career spanned over 550 games and sixteen years.
Clinton Boulton RIP Forever Valiant
LIndsay Whitehouse
3rd January 2021 @ 12:09 pm
Another one of our great promotion team of 1969/70 gone. Clint Boulton was a fabulous footballer. Before home games he was a regular in the Vale Cafe in Hamil Road where he played pinball and smoked cigarettes non stop. On the field he was strong, resilient, skilful and versatile. In our promotion season he scored half a dozen goals from right back, a pretty decent return. If he was playing now he would stand out as a hugely accomplished footballer. RIP Clint
Ian Clarke
3rd January 2021 @ 7:32 pm
My memory of Clint is seeing him playing on the pinball machine in the Vale Cafe with a cigarette in his mouth and the ashtray on the pinball machine catching the ash. Joan who owned the cafe came out of the kitchen and said ‘dinners ready Clint’. Dinner was bacon, sausage, fried bread, beans etc. He was greatly respected by Vale supporters and had a 500 game career. With Vale short of money £10,000 represented a sizeable fee and gave Clint the opportunity to swap Burslem for the English Riviera.
Valeathome
4th January 2021 @ 12:42 am
I Remember Clinton Boulton. A Wonderful Player for the Vale. Always worked hard for 90 minutes and always gave everything. Week in week out for the Vale. I have also remembered seeing Clinton in the Vale Cafe. RIP Clinton.
Friday Boy
4th January 2021 @ 10:44 am
Clint was a charming fella to the end. He loved his mates and his golf and was hugely popular, competitive and good natured in equal measure. It is my privilege to have played golf with him for years down here in beautiful Devon. He passed away with a great set of lads who did there very best for him and who are broken hearted. Love the stories from the Vale cafe. On the night of the Miracle at Medina Ryder Cup finale, in St Ives, Cornwall on the annual golf tour (3 days of beer more like) there is a great story. There was one pub with a Sky TV and one bloke in it. As the rowdy but peaceful mob arrived, we apologised for disturbing his evening. ‘No problem lads’ came the reply in a Potteries accent. Where are you from we asked and he acknowledged his upbringing in the Potteries. ‘Your lucky night. You are in the company of a Potteries legend’. The guy was a Valiant and recognised Clint. ‘Vale only had to pay Torquay £10k to get rid of him’ we teased. ‘Best marauding full back I ever saw’ he said. Clint was a lovely bloke to the end. We’ll miss him terribly down here.
Jeff Abbotts
4th January 2021 @ 10:52 am
Great lad for the Vale, R.I.P. Clint
Grahamsmith
4th January 2021 @ 2:33 pm
One of my fave Vale players of all time. We still sing his name even now. Was he as good at golf as he was football? R I P
Steve Pope
4th January 2021 @ 2:33 pm
I had the great privilage & honour to know Clint & have remained friends, from when I first met him, back in November 1971 in the home team dressing room of Torquay United. I was an apprentice at the time & Clint had just signed from Port Vale, I made him a mug of tea & waited for all the pros to arrive that day for training,
A truly lovely, kind & gentle soul, plus of course an absolute brilliant footballer!! He was a steal at £10,000.00 from Port Vale. Good bye my dear friend, God bless you!!!
Michael quinn
4th January 2021 @ 2:49 pm
I can remember standing on the Hamil End, knee deep in snow, can’t remember who we were playing but Clint put in a tackle near the corner flag, sliding in the snow, then we heard a crack, he had broken his leg. A true professional, never shied away from anything, RIP Mr Clint Boultom
Derek Harrison
4th January 2021 @ 3:00 pm
Lovely man was (Bernie) never a bad word for anyone, wonderful team man and great competitor and team mate. He will be sadly missed. R.I.P.
Roy Cross
4th January 2021 @ 10:01 pm
R.I.P. Clint
Bruce Wills
8th January 2021 @ 11:13 pm
I briefly lived with Clint in Torquay during the early 1980’s during which time we became very good friends.
Despite playing very different sports, me playing rugby for Torquay Athletic, we got on like a house on fire.
Clint was an absolutely genuine and honest bloke and it was a privilege to have known him for all these years.
Rest in Peace old friend.
Aston Parker
13th January 2021 @ 6:52 am
Myself & my wife were friends of Clint Boulton & his wife Rose during his playing days at Torquay. He was a genuinely nice man & very unassuming . It is with great regret to hear of his death
. He was a very popular local figure following his retirement from football in the torbay area .
Michael Amison
13th January 2021 @ 1:31 pm
RIP Clinton Boulton a brilliant fullback far far better than any of our current defenders he was a local boy coming from cellarhead no edge on him just a proper nice bloke
Derek C
2nd February 2021 @ 9:18 pm
I was very surprised to read about the passing of Clinton, I haven’t seen him for many years since the torbay blinds days where he worked. With me being an ex trucker from Stoke I called to see him when I was in torbay area. I grew up with Clint, from the early fifties at infants, right through to leaving big shool in 1963. With living in the same area we still saw each other in passing, even having a lift in his first car (a yellow mk 1 cortina). There are quite a few who remember the old school gang as we have spoken regularly when bumping into each other. I always remembered him as being a good friend from years gone by and always had time to chat