Dick Harker

{{Infobox football biography

| name=Dick Harker

| image=

| fullname=Richard Harker

| birth_date= {{birth date|df=yes|1883|05|20}}

| birth_place = Wardley Colliery, Gateshead, England

| height= {{height|ft=5|in=10}}

| death_date= {{death date and age|df=y|1917|4|9|1883|05|20}}

| death_place = Arras, France

| position= Inside forward

| years1 = 1904–1905

| clubs1 = Newcastle United

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1905–1907

| clubs2 = Crystal Palace

| caps2 = 51

| goals2 = 12

| years3 = 1907–1909

| clubs3 = Hibernian

| caps3 = 68

| goals3 = 29

| years4 = 1909–1911

| clubs4 = Heart of Midlothian

| caps4 = 67

| goals4 = 20

| years5 = 1911–1912

| clubs5 = Crystal Palace

| caps5 = 15

| goals5 = 7

| years6 = 1912–1914

| clubs6 = Darlington

| caps6 = 52

| goals6 = 22

}}

Richard Harker commonly referred to as Dick Harker (20 May 1883 – 9 April 1917) was a professional footballer who played for Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian and Darlington.{{Cite web |last=kjehan |date=1917-04-09 |title=Richard Harker (Dick Harker) @ PlayUpLiverpool.com |url=https://playupliverpool.com/1917/04/09/richard-harker-dick-harker-playupliverpool-com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406164155/https://playupliverpool.com/1917/04/09/richard-harker-dick-harker-playupliverpool-com/ |archive-date=2023-04-06 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website="Play Up, Liverpool" |language=en}}

Playing career

Dick Harker signed amateur terms with Newcastle United in 1903 after a trial, and turned professional in 1904, appearing for Newcastle reserves in a championship winning season in the Northern League. During this season Harker scored 16 goals in 17 games. In 1905 he transferred to the new Crystal Palace F.C. where he was one of the 16 players manager John Robson brought from the North East. At Palace he played inside right and featured in their debut fixtures, although he failed to finish the first match the club played in the Southern League against Southampton Reserves due to an injury.{{Cite book |last=Purkiss |first=Mike |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/315404950 |title=Crystal Palace : a complete record 1905-1989 |date= |publisher=Breedon Books Sport |year=1990 |isbn=0-907969-54-2 |location=Derby |oclc=315404950}}{{cite book|editor=Matthews, Tony|title=We All Follow The Palace|publisher=Juma|year=1998|isbn=1-872204-55-4}} He played in the F.A. Cup defeat of Newcastle United in 1907, featuring in Palace's cup run that season.{{cite book|last=King|first=Ian|title=Crystal Palace: The Complete Record 1905-2011|publisher=Derby Books Publishing Company Limited|year=2012|isbn=978-1-78091-221-9}} After transferring to Hibernian for the 1907–1908 season he finished his first season as their top scorer. After moving to Heart of Midlothian he was their top scorer for the 1910–1911 season. In his second spell at Palace he scored a hat-trick against West Ham in a 6–1 victory on 30 September 1911. He won the North Eastern League with Darlington in 1913.

Death

He enlisted at the outbreak of the First World War, serving in the Northumberland Fusiliers where he was ultimately part of the 20th Tyneside Scottish Battalion.{{cite web|title=Richard Harker|url=https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/785328/richard-harker/ |website=cwgc.org|access-date=25 June 2023}} He was listed as killed in action in the Battle of Arras on 9 April 1917 in France.{{Cite web |title=Your WW1 Heroes Gallery 7 |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/gallery/your-ww1-heroes-gallery-7-7541221 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629102948/https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/gallery/your-ww1-heroes-gallery-7-7541221 |archive-date=2017-06-29 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Chronicle Live}}{{Cite web |title=Richard Harker |url=https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/richard-harker-service-record/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517144801/https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/richard-harker-service-record/ |archive-date=2022-05-17 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Football and the First World War |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Newcastle United: Lest We Forget |url=https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/archive/newcastle-united-lest-we-forget/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406163031/https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/archive/newcastle-united-lest-we-forget/ |archive-date=2023-04-06 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Newcastle United Football Club |language=en}} Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

He was one of the eight former Palace players killed during the war memorialised by the club in November 2018, planting eight saplings at their Beckenham training ground.{{Cite web |title=Palace Commemorate Former Players Lost in the First World War with Tree Planting, Amongst Other Remembrance Activity - News |url=https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/club/palace-commemorate-former-players-lost-in-the-first-world-war-with-tree-planting-amongst-other-remembrance-activity/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407093313/https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/club/palace-commemorate-former-players-lost-in-the-first-world-war-with-tree-planting-amongst-other-remembrance-activity/ |archive-date=2023-04-07 |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=Crystal Palace F.C. |language=en-GB}}