| Dick Harker | |
| Fullname: | Richard Harker |
| Birth Date: | 20 May 1883 |
| Birth Place: | Wardley Colliery, Gateshead, England |
| Death Place: | Arras, France |
| Position: | Inside forward |
| Years1: | 1904–1905 |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 1905–1907 |
| Clubs2: | Crystal Palace |
| Caps2: | 51 |
| Goals2: | 12 |
| Years3: | 1907–1909 |
| 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.[1]
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.[2] [3] He played in the F.A. Cup defeat of Newcastle United in 1907, featuring in Palace's cup run that season.[4] 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 the 30th September 1911. He won the North Eastern League with Darlington in 1913.
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.[5] He was listed as killed in action in the Battle of Arras on the 9 April 1917 in France.[6] [7] [8] Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.[5] [7]
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.[9]