Richard Hope

Infobox Football biography
playername = Richard Hope


fullname = Richard Paul Hope
height = height|ft=6|in=2
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|06|22|df=y
cityofbirth = Stockton
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Grimsby Town
clubnumber = 6
position = Defender
youthyears = 1991–1995
youthclubs = Blackburn Rovers
years = 1995–1997
1997
1997–1998
1998
1998–2003
2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2007
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = Blackburn Rovers
→ Darlington (loan)
Darlington
→ Northampton Town (loan)
Northampton Town
York City
Chester City
Shrewsbury Town
Wrexham
Grimsby Town
caps(goals) = 000 (0)
005 (0)
057 (1)
001 (0)
133 (7)
036 (2)
028 (2)
075 (2)
033 (0)
002 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 12:08, 23 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Richard Paul Hope (born 22 June 1978 in Stockton ) is an English footballer who plays for Grimsby Town as a defender. He has also played for Wrexham, Darlington, Northampton Town, York City, Chester City and Shrewsbury Town, and has made over 350 appearances in the Football League.

Career

Hope began his career as a trainee at Blackburn Rovers but made no appearances for the club.cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=9966|title=Richard Hope |work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|accessdate=2008-05-24] He joined Darlington on one-month loan in January, which brought him his first league experience, and played five games in Division Three before joining the club on a free transfer in the following month. He was a regular for Darlington for the following season-and-a-half, making over 60 league and cup appearances, but fell out of favour in the first half of the 1998–99 season and joined Northampton Town on loan in December 1998, which was quickly converted to a permanent signing a week later.

Hope made over 150 appearances in four-and-a-half seasons at Northampton Town, helping the club to automatic promotion to Division Two in 2000. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/northampton_town/791097.stm |title=Cobblers enjoy promotion party|date=2000-06-28|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] Following the club's relegation to Division Three at the end of the 2002–03 season, Hope was released by Northampton and joined York City on a one-month contract in August 2003. [cite news |url=http://archive.yorkpress.co.uk/2003/8/6/261410.html|title=Hope for City|date=2003-08-06|work=Evening Press (York)|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|accessdate=2008-05-25] He then signed a three-month contract in the following month. [cite news | title = Hope pens York deal | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/y/york_city/3109834.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2003-09-15 | accessdate = 2007-08-18] He stayed at York City for the rest of the season but after the club was relegated to the Conference National at the end of the 2003–04 season, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3672507.stm|title=Carlisle and York go down|date=2004-05-01|publisher=BBS Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] joined Conference champions Chester City on a two-year contract. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chester/3787291.stm|title=Chester swoop on Hope|date=2004-06-08|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25]

Hope made 28 appearances in League Two for Chester City in the 2004–04 season, helping the club to avoid relegation, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/4427615.stm|title=Chester 2-2 Bristol Rovers |date=2006-04-16|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] but joined Shrewsbury Town on free transfer in August 2005 after being allowed to leave Chester City as he did not feature in manager Keith Curle's plans for the 2005–06 season. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/shrewsbury/4141510.stm |title=Hope poised to seal Shrews switch|date=2005-08-11|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] He became a first-choice regular for Shrewsbury and was made club captain. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/shrewsbury/5128280.stm|title=Peters keeps the faith with Hope |date=2006-06-29|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] He made over 75 appearances in two seasons, helping the club to the League Two play-off final in May 2007. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/6686951.stm |title=Bristol Rovers 3-1 Shrewsbury |last=Bevan|first=Chris|date=2007-05-26|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-25] Following defeat in the play-off final, Hope was released by Shrewsbury and joined Wrexham in June 2007. [cite news| title = Shrewsbury release defensive duo | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/shrewsbury/6701807.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2007-05-29 | accessdate = 2007-05-29] [cite news | title = Hope completes Wrexham transfer | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/6715619.stm | publisher = BBC Sport | date = 2007-06-06 | accessdate = 2008-09-27] He made 35 league and cup appearances for Wrexham in the 2007–08 season but was transfer listed by Wrexham in May 2008 following the club's relegation to the Conference National. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wrexham/7367679.stm|title=Roberts and Llewellyn leave Reds |date=2008-05-06|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=2008-05-11] He returned to League Two with a move to Grimsby Town on a two-year contract in June.cite news
title = Two more defenders join Mariners
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/g/grimsby_town/7473925.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-06-25
accessdate = 2008-06-25]

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=9966|name=Richard Hope