It is with great sadness that the Club heard of the death on New Year's Day of former goalkeeper Keith Barker, aged 58.

Having signed as a teenager for United in the 1967-68 season as understudy to long-serving Rodney Slack, he played an important part in ensuring our election to the Football League in 1970.

Keith broke into the team that won the Southern League for two successive years, and was to make 76 League appearances in three seasons as a part-time professional, having previously been on the books of Burnley and Southend United.

Keith's potential was widely admired and when Chelsea signed Ian Hutchinson it is widely acknowledged that it was the young goalkeeper's performances that had attracted the scouts to the Abbey Stadium in the first place.

Despite being retained by Bill Leivers, instead of Slack, he was not to make any Football League appearances for Cambridge United following the signings of the more experienced Trevor Roberts and Peter Vasper.

Keith was released in January 1971 and, after a brief unsuccessful period at Chesterfield, was then signed for Barnsley where he made played nine times in two seasons.

He was to return to the Cambridge area to live, making further appearances for Cambridge City (where his elder brother Alan had played in the late 1960s), Barnet, Kings Lynn and Bishop's Stortford. His father had been a wing-half for Stoke City.

Our thoughts are with Keith's family and friends at this sad time.

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