Richie Barker (footballer, born 1939) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richie Joseph Barker | ||
| Date of birth | 23 November 1939 | ||
| Place of birth | Loughborough, England | ||
| Date of death | 11 October 2020 (aged 80) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1959–1960 | Morris Sports (Loughborough) | ||
| 1960–1962 | Burton Albion | ||
| 1962–1963 | Loughborough United | ||
| 1963 | Matlock Town | ||
| 1963–1967 | Burton Albion | 270 | (159) |
| 1965 | → Primo Hamilton (loan) | ||
| 1967–1969 | Derby County | 38 | (12) |
| 1969–1971 | Notts County | 112 | (37) |
| 1971–1972 | Peterborough United | 36 | (9) |
| Total | 456 | (217) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1978 | Shrewsbury Town | ||
| 1981–1983 | Stoke City | ||
| 1984–1985 | Notts County | ||
| 1985–1986 | Ethnikos Piraeus | ||
| 1986–1987 | Zamalek | ||
| 1997 | West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | ||
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Richie Joseph Barker (born November 23, 1939 – died October 11, 2020) was a talented English football player and manager. He played as a forward for several teams, including Derby County and Notts County. After his playing career, he became a manager for clubs like Shrewsbury Town and Stoke City. He even managed teams in Greece and Egypt!
Contents
Richie Barker's Football Journey
Playing Days
Richie Barker was born in Loughborough, England. He started his football journey in 1960 with Burton Albion, a non-league team. He spent seven years with them, scoring an amazing 159 goals. This was a club record!
In 1967, he joined Derby County. This was a big move, as he was one of the first players signed by the famous manager Brian Clough. Richie played 31 games in his first season, scoring 12 goals.
In December 1968, he moved to Notts County. He had a very successful time there. He scored 20 goals in the 1969–70 season. The next year, he scored 13 goals. He helped his team, led by manager Jimmy Sirrel, win the Fourth Division title.
Richie finished his playing career with a season at Peterborough United. After that, he decided to become a coach.
Becoming a Manager
Richie Barker started his coaching career at Shrewsbury Town. He worked with manager Alan Durban. When Durban left in February 1978, Richie took over as manager. He stayed at Shrewsbury for nine months.
Next, he became an assistant manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He helped the team win the League Cup in 1980.
In 1981, the manager of Stoke City, Alan Durban, moved to another club. He suggested Richie Barker for the job. Stoke City hired Richie, and his time there started well. They beat Arsenal in their first game of the 1981–82 season.
However, that season was tough, and Stoke City barely avoided being relegated. For the 1982–83 season, Richie brought in some great players. These included George Berry and Mickey Thomas. Stoke City had an exciting season with many good games.
In 1983, Richie changed his team's playing style. He wanted them to play a more direct, long ball style. This means kicking the ball long and high towards the opponent's goal. Fans and players didn't like this change, and the team's results got worse. Richie was sacked in December 1983.
Coaching Around the World
After leaving Stoke City, Richie took a year off. He then returned to manage his old club, Notts County.
He also managed teams in other countries. He led Ethnikos Piraeus in Greece. Then, he went to Egypt to manage Zamalek. With Zamalek, he helped them win the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1986. This is a very important tournament in African football.
Later, he came back to England. He worked as an assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday. He also helped his former player Paul Bracewell at Halifax Town.
Richie also worked for West Bromwich Albion as their chief scout. He even took over as a temporary manager for one game there.
Career Numbers
Here are some of Richie Barker's statistics from his playing and managerial careers.
Playing career
Source:
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Derby County | 1967–68 | Second Division | 27 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 12 |
| 1968–69 | Second Division | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| Total | 38 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 45 | 14 | ||
| Notts County | 1968–69 | Fourth Division | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| 1969–70 | Fourth Division | 44 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 20 | |
| 1970–71 | Fourth Division | 37 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 13 | |
| 1971–72 | Third Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 112 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 121 | 38 | ||
| Peterborough United | 1971–72 | Fourth Division | 36 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 11 |
| Career total | 186 | 58 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 206 | 63 | ||
Managerial career
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Shrewsbury Town | 20 February 1978 | 21 November 1978 | 33 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 42.4 |
| Stoke City | 1 June 1981 | 9 December 1983 | 102 | 31 | 23 | 48 | 30.4 |
| Notts County | 5 November 1984 | 19 April 1985 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 18.5 |
| Total | 162 | 50 | 42 | 70 | 30.9 | ||
Trophies and Awards
Richie Barker achieved some great successes during his career.
Player
Notts County
- Football League Fourth Division: 1970–71 (This means his team won the Fourth Division league title.)
Manager
Zamalek
- African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1986 (This is a major club competition in Africa.)
His Passing
Richie Barker passed away on October 11, 2020, at the age of 80.
