The Island is mourning the death of one of its football greats who was a member of arguably one of the most mesmerising two-man strike attacks in the sport.

Bayfield Clarke passed away at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital over the weekend at the age of 70 after a lengthy illness.

Few would argue that during the late 1950s through to the early 1970s, Clarke and Glenn (Gappa) Wade, both national team players, formed one of the most exciting acts in the sport during their time at Dock Hill Rangers (who were later to change their name to North Village).

Clarke was the creator and a tantalising dribbler while Wade the deadly finisher.

But both were capable of playing either role when it counted.

A quiet, softly-spoken man, Clarke made his presence felt on the field, known for ruthlessly tearing apart a defence with his menacing dribbling, swerving from side to side as he left one defender after another stranded in his wake as he stormed forward to either finish himself or provide Wade or another team-mate with a defence-splitting pass.

During two decades, Dock Hill Rangers were one of the most prominent teams in local football, thanks mainly to the duo who were recognised for their ability to create mounting frustration to defences from the west to the east with their dazzing displays.

While Wade might go down in history as one of the greatest and most versatile players local football has ever produced, Clarke's artistry will likely draw almost as much praise.

Their talents combined to provide vintage football, defences getting punished after caught napping with more alert defences often left in their tracks as the pair teamed up to slip past them and find the goal.

Sports historian Warrington (Soup) Zuill recalled Clarke's brilliance on the field of play, agreeing that he was "a true master" when in possession of the ball and a menace to defencers.

"He was a talented player, especially when he combined with Wade. There was no other team around who could field two such formidable forwards, they were simply awesome," said Zuill.

"I recall him being a part of the first Bermuda national team that went to Iceland with then national coach Norman Creek of England.

"That was a great team they had around the mid sixties. During the later years of the BFL (Bermuda Football League), Clarke became a regular player in the national team, replacing the deceased Eddie Wright.

"Everybody loved to watch Clarke when he gained possession, using his craftiness and sway of the body to get by a defender to finish off an attack or pass the ball on to Wade who could score with either foot.

"It was good football those days . . . performances that enabled local fans to get their money's worth.

"It is a sad time for the sport of football to lose somebody who had made their mark in the game like Clarke."