| Richard Carpenter | |
| Birth Date: | 30 September 1972 |
| Birth Place: | Sheerness, England |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Youthclubs1: | Gillingham |
| Years1: | 1991–1996 |
| Clubs1: | Gillingham |
| Caps1: | 122 |
| Goals1: | 4 |
| Years2: | 1996–1998 |
| Clubs2: | Fulham |
| Caps2: | 58 |
| Goals2: | 7 |
| Years3: | 1998–2000 |
| Clubs3: | Cardiff City |
| Caps3: | 75 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 2000–2007 |
| Caps4: | 252 |
| Goals4: | 20 |
| Years5: | 2007–2008 |
| Clubs5: | Welling United |
| Years6: | 2010–2011 |
| Clubs6: | Whitehawk |
| Caps6: | 11 |
| Goals6: | 1 |
| Manageryears1: | 2008 |
| Managerclubs1: | Welling United (caretaker manager) |
Richard Carpenter (born 30 September 1972) is an English footballer, born in Sheerness, who played as a midfielder for Gillingham, Fulham, Cardiff City and Brighton & Hove Albion. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League over a 15-year professional career.[1]
Carpenter began his football career with Gillingham, and was part of the team promoted to Division Two in the 1995–96 season.[2] He went on to make more than 250 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion, and captained the side. In 2004, Carpenter was required to pay undisclosed damages to Chris Casper following a tackle in a league match on Boxing Day 1999, during his time playing for Cardiff City, that left Casper with a double fracture to his leg that subsequently saw him retire from professional football.[3]
In February 2007 his contract was terminated by mutual consent, and he signed for Conference South club Welling United,[4] where he became club captain and briefly caretaker manager,[5] before leaving the club at the end of the 2007–08 season.[2]
In February 2010, Carpenter played a one-off game for Whitehawk in a sixth round FA Vase tie at Gresley Rovers to solve an injury crisis, as a favour for the Hawks' manager Darren Freeman.[6] He then came out of retirement to play for Whitehawk during their first season in Isthmian League Division One South.[7]
In 2012, Carpenter was sentenced to 200 hours of community service after pleading guilty to an assault charge following a brawl in The Red Lion pub in Hernhill.[8]