Richard Knight (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Richard Knight

| image =

| fullname = Richard Knight

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}

| position = Goalkeeper

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|8|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Burton upon Trent, England

| death_date =

| currentclub =

| years1 = 1994–1997 | clubs1 = Burton Albion | caps1 = 1 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1997–2000 | clubs2 = Derby County | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1999 | clubs3 = → Carlisle United (loan) | caps3 = 6 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1999 | clubs4 = → Birmingham City (loan) | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1999 | clubs5 = → Hull City (loan) | caps5 = 1 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1999–2000 | clubs6 = → Macclesfield Town (loan) | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2000 | clubs7 = → Oxford United (loan) | caps7 = 2 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2000 | clubs8 = → Oxford United (loan) | caps8 = 11 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2000–2002 | clubs9 = Oxford United | caps9 = 36 | goals9 = 0

| years10 = 2002 | clubs10 = → Colchester United (loan) | caps10 = 1 | goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2004 | clubs11 = Didcot Town | caps11 = 16 | goals11 = 0

| years12 = 2004–2009 | clubs12 = Brackley Town | caps12 = | goals12 =

| years13 = 2009–2010 | clubs13 = Oxford City | caps13 = | goals13 =

| years14 = 2014 | clubs14 = Stamford | caps14 = | goals14 =

| years15 = 2014 | clubs15 = Cambridge City | caps15 = 4 | goals15 = 0

| years16 = 2014–2015 | clubs16 = Kettering Town | caps16 = 23 | goals16 = 0

| years17 = 2015 | clubs17 = Stamford

}}

Richard Knight (born 3 August 1979) is an English footballer who played professionally in the Football League for Carlisle United, Hull City, Macclesfield Town, Oxford United and Colchester United.{{Hugman|11161|accessdate=25 January 2016}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=13886 |title=Richard Knight |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=3 June 2009}} For individual season detail, select season required via dropdown menu. A goalkeeper, he went on to play for several years in non-league football.

Playing career

Knight was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. He began his football career with Burton Albion, for whom he made one appearance, against Salisbury City in 1994. Ten minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute, he was sent off after bringing down an opponent. Outfield player Darren Stride went in goal and saved the resultant penalty, but Burton lost 2–0.{{Cite news |url=http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Burton-Albion-Keeper-Knight-comes-circle-face-Brewers/story-11564652-detail/story.html |title=Burton Albion: Keeper Knight comes full circle to face Brewers |newspaper=Derby Telegraph |date=6 November 2009 |accessdate=25 January 2016}} He then joined Derby County in 1997.{{Cite news |url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6634025.Knight_to_United_s_rescue/ |title=Knight to United's rescue |newspaper=Oxford Mail |date=14 January 2000 |accessdate=3 June 2009}} He spent time on loan at clubs including Carlisle United, for whom he made his Football League debut, on 27 March 1999 in Division Three in a 2–1 defeat at Cardiff City, Birmingham City, for whom he appeared only in one League Cup match, Hull City, and Macclesfield Town. After Derby recalled him from loan at Carlisle, they signed Jimmy Glass on loan to replace him; Glass went on to score the injury-time goal in the last match of the season that saved Carlisle from relegation out of the Football League.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-carlisle-raise-a-glass-to-survival-carlisle-united-2-plymouth-argyle-1-1092696.html |title=Football: Carlisle raise a Glass to survival – Carlisle United 2 Plymouth Argyle 1 |first=Rupert |last=Metcalf |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=9 May 1999 |accessdate=25 January 2016}}

He finished off his loan spells with two separate stints with Oxford United, where his impressive form played a significant part in the club avoiding relegation,{{Cite news |url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6631815.Football__Knight_set_to_sign/ |title=Knight set to sign |newspaper=Oxford Mail |date=1 June 2000 |accessdate=25 January 2016}} and joined them on a permanent basis in 2000 without ever having appeared in a competitive match for Derby. He lost his place in December 2000 after Oxford were 2–0 up in the FA Cup at Conference club Chester City but lost 3–2, thus failing to qualify for the potentially lucrative third round, and only regained it in the following March.{{Cite news |url=http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/6622670.Knight_on_a_mission/ |title=Knight on a mission |newspaper=Oxford Times |first=Jon |last=Murray |date=2 March 2001 |accessdate=25 January 2016}} Nevertheless, at the end of the season, with the club bottom of Division Two, he won Oxford United's supporters' player of the year award. He lost his place again to the newly arrived Ian McCaldon, had a spell on loan at Colchester United, and was released at the end of the 2001–02 season.{{Cite news |url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6568846.Football__Ex_U_s_star_Knight_signs_up_for_Didcot/ |title=Ex-U's star Knight signs up for Didcot |newspaper=Oxford Mail |date=31 January 2004 |accessdate=25 January 2016}}

In January 2004 he signed for Didcot Town as cover, and played in the final of the Hellenic League Cup as Didcot beat Bishops Cleeve 3–1.{{Cite web |title=Player's Appearances: Richard R Knight |url=https://football.mitoo.co.uk/PlayersHistory2.cfm?PI=45232&LeagueCode=HLNC2003 |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=football.mitoo.co.uk}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/6566062.Football__Great_Scott_lands_cup_for_Didcot/ |title=Great Scott lands cup for Didcot |newspaper=Oxford Mail |date=10 May 2004 |accessdate=25 January 2016}} He moved on to Brackley Town in 2004,{{Cite web |url=http://www.brackleytownfc.com/cfm/first%20team/squad.html |title=The squad 2007–08 |publisher=Brackley Town F.C. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310121059/http://www.brackleytownfc.com/cfm/first%20team/squad.html |archivedate=10 March 2008}} and remained at the club until he was released in the summer of 2009. He then joined Oxford City, but left the club in October 2010, due to commuting difficulties from his Derbyshire home.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/9111626.stm |title=Dave Savage stays with Oxford City |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=4 September 2011 |date=20 October 2010}}

In 2014, Knight turned out for Stamford and spent a few weeks with Cambridge City as goalkeeping cover{{cite news |url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge-City-sign-Oxford-United-goalkeeper/story-22947903-detail/story.html |title=Cambridge City sign former Oxford United goalkeeper Richard Knight |newspaper=Cambridge News |date=18 September 2014 |accessdate=25 January 2016}} before joining Kettering Town in November 2014.{{cite news |url=http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/kettering-town/poppies-aiming-to-extend-their-advantage-1-6436885 |title=Poppies aiming to extend their advantage |first=Jon |last=Dunham |newspaper=Northamptonshire Telegraph |date=25 November 2014 |accessdate=16 January 2016}} He played regularly for the remainder of the 2014–15 season as Kettering won the Southern Football League Division One Central title.{{cite web |url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/richard-knight |title=Kettering Town player profiles Richard Knight |publisher=Aylesbury United FC/Luke Buckingham-Brown |accessdate=16 January 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/kettering-town/poppies-are-crowned-champions-1-6674913 |title=Poppies are crowned champions |first=Jon |last=Dunham |newspaper=Northamptonshire Telegraph |date=6 April 2015 |accessdate=16 January 2016}} After a single season with the Poppies, he rejoined Stamford, for whom he played 29 matches and won six man-of-the-match awards, before leaving the club in December 2015 due to work commitments.{{cite news |url=http://www.rutland-times.co.uk/sport/football/clements-and-knight-leave-stamford-as-newman-comes-in-1-7138218 |title=Clements and Knight leave Stamford as Newman comes in |newspaper=Rutland Times |date=31 December 2015 |accessdate=25 January 2016}}