 On 13 January 2010, new manager Neil Woods told Clarke, along with Danny Boshell, Matthew Heywood and Barry Conlon that they were free to leave the club in the January transfer window.Clarke was released by the club on 2 February 2010, along with Boshell and Heywood.A few hours after his release from Grimsby, Clarke signed for Conference Premier team York City on a contract until the end of the 2009–10 season.