| Bth | 23/02/56 | Bishop Auckland | |
| P/H/W | Left-Back | 5ft 10in | |
| Jnr | 1972 (16) | Bishop Auckland||
| Pro | 03/73 (17) | ||
| Deb | 28/02/75 (19) | West Ham (A) | Div 1 |
| Dep | 17/01/79 (22) | Gillingham | £65,000 |
| A/G | 27 (2) |
| Season | App | Gls | Posn |
| 1974/75 | 02 | ||
| 1976/77 | 01 | ||
| 1977/78 | 18 (1) | ||
| 1978/79 | 06 (1) |
Mickey Barker was a forceful and fierce tackler who was nicknamed “cowboy” by his team-mates because he was built like John Wayne. Actually called Allan, but the club used his middle name as there was already an Alan Barker on the books when he joined.
Barker made his debut in 1974/75 when he got a last-minute call-up for the match at West Ham just after his nineteenth birthday. The players were waiting at Central Station to leave for the game in London that night when Pat Howard had to pull out due to mumps. He also played in an injury-hit United side that lost 5-4 at Ipswich and that was his last appearance for a couple of years.
He walked out on the club in the summer of 1975 after a dispute over the terms of his new contract. Although he went to work in a garage, United held on to his registration.
After a year out he re-signed and Bill McGarry gave him a chance in the side. The manager was impressed with his skill and attitude stating: “Micky has done a remarkable job for me.” And even when Alan Kennedy returned from injury he retained his place in the side.
Alan Kennedy’s move to Liverpool meant Barker was handed the Number 3 shirt at the start of 1978/79, but the signing of John Brownlie saw him lose it again. Although he got a couple more games, McGarry spent most of the season trying to move him on and he left for Gillingham in January.
The portrait is part of the nufc collection ‘Men in Stripes’ and is copyright Piotr Jozefowicz.
For a more extensive biography of his full career see the Paul Joannou book "Newcastle United - The Complete Who's Who 1881-2014" and the accompanying supplement "The Ultimate Who's Who Supplement 1".