Richard Barker (field hockey)

{{short description|British field hockey player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox field hockey player
|name= Richard Barker
|image=
|birth_date = 1949
|birth_place= England
|death_date =
|death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| position = Goalkeeper
|clubs1= Cambridge University
|years1= 1969–1971
|clubs2= [[Old Kingstonians Hockey Club|Old Kingstonians]]
|years2= 1971–1976
|nationalteam1= [[England men's national field hockey team|England]] & [[Great Britain men's national field hockey team|Great Britain]]
|nationalyears1= 1970–1976
|nationalcaps(goals)1=
|nationalteam2=
|nationalyears2=
|nationalcaps(goals)2=
}}

'''Richard L.Barker''' (born 1949) is a former [[field hockey]] international player who repesented [[England men's national field hockey team|England]] and [[Great Britain men's national field hockey team|Great Britain]].

== Biography ==
Barker initially played club hockey for Cambridge University and won his blue playing in the 1969 varsity match against Oxford University.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003739/19690301/020/0020 |title=England trial teams |work=Cambridge Daily News |date=1 March 1969 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref> He also represented Surrey at county level.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000521/19740216/034/0034 |title=England trial teams |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |date=16 February 1974 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref>

While at Cambridge, Barker was promoted from the England U23 squad to make his full England debut against Wales on 11 April 1970.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005211/19700411/236/0029 |title=England and Wales at Eastbourne with Europe in mind |work=Eastbourne Herald |date=25 September 1970 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref> Later that year he was called up for England for the [[1970 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004722/19700925/014/0014 |title=England crash in hockey cup |work=Nottingham Guardian |date=19 December 1974 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref>

After Cambridge, Barker played for [[Old Kingstonians Hockey Club|Old Kingstonians]] and just missed out on selection for the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] despite being called up in the 23 man training squad.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003740/19710426/020/0020 |title=Three blues in Olympic squad |work=Cambridge Daily News |date=26 April 1971 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref> He lost out to [[Peter Mills (field hockey)|Peter Mills]] and [[Austin Savage (field hockey)|Austin Savage]] who were selected as the goalkeepers for the event.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19720117/317/0014 |title=Britain call up Ireland's No.2 keeper |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=17 January 1972 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref>

However, he did compete at the [[1975 Men's Hockey World Cup]] in Kuala Lumpur.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005475/19741219/013/0013 |title=England name hockey squad |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=19 December 1974 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hockeymuseum.org/hat-tricks-hospitality-and-honour-recalling-the-1975-mens-hockey-world-cup/|title=Hat-tricks, hospitality and honour: recalling the 1975 men's Hockey World Cup |website=The Hockey Museum |date=19 March 2025 |access-date=5 July 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{England FH Squad 1975 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Richard}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:English male field hockey players]]
[[Category:British male field hockey players]]
[[Category:Living people]]