Ken Stanford

{{short description|Irish sports shooter}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Ken Stanford

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| image =

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| nationality = Irish

| sport = Sports shooting

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|12|9|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland

| death_date =

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}}

Ken Stanford (born 9 December 1937) is an Irish sports shooter. Formerly a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), he represented Britain and Northern Ireland at a number of pistol shooting events, including the Commonwealth Games, before "controversially" representing Ireland at the 1980 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url = https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ex-officer-reveals-hostility-at-choice-of-country-1.541698 | work = Irish Times | title = Ex-officer reveals 'hostility' at choice of country | date = 23 July 2012 | accessdate = 2 February 2025 }}{{cite news | url = https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19800528/087/0006 | via = britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk | title = RUC man for Moscow with the Republic | quote = Ken Stanford an inspector in the RUC is to go to the Moscow Olympics as a member of the Republic of Ireland's shooting team | date = 28 May 1980 | work = Belfast Telegraph | page = 6 }} Stanford, who "applied for three weeks special leave" from his role as a Chief Inspector with the RUC to participate,{{cite news |url = https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19800624/008/0001 | work = Belfast Telegraph | title = Belfast Telegraph, Front page, 24 June 1980 | quote = The RUC man [was] chosen to shoot for Ireland at Moscow [..] But the Chief Constable has yet to say whether or not he can go. Chief Inspector Ken Stanford has applied for three weeks special leave | date = 24 June 1980 | via = britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk }} represented Ireland in two shooting events at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/ken-stanford-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418115746/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/ken-stanford-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Ken Stanford Olympic Results |accessdate=10 February 2020}}