Richard Harker Young
Born April 17th 1918 at 14 Waggonway Street, Wardley Colliery
A tremendous character and a marvellous ambassador for Carlisle United.  No doubt many fans will read about 'Dick', remembering him with great fondness and affection.  The author's memory of this 'gentleman' was being taken by the hand on a guided tour of the ground (at 10 years old) and being introduced to players and club officials as someone of great importance.  Yet to Dick Young, all supporters were important.  That is the sort of man he was, caring and loyal.
Born in Gateshead in 1918 he loved his football and played for Boldon Colliery before joining Sheffield United in November 1935.  He was a six-footer and therefore a strong and powerful centre-half, and his pace allowed him to be something of a utility player, for he often covered at right back.  Injury ended his playing days whilst he was turning out for Lincoln City as player/coach after the Second World War, and he retired from playing in 1954.
Within twelve months he arrived at Carlisle as trainer/coach working with the then team manager Fred Emery.  He served in this position for some twenty years, but his training methods could hardly be classed as methodical, indeed he was something of an innovator in this department.  Dick would take players training on the beach at Silloth, or running along the dunes at Skinburness.  Alternatively he would join them on cross-country runs in the Lake District or around Rickerby or Bitts Park in Carlisle.  Whatever or wherever, Dick would be there training alongside them, encouraging and motivating.
In November 1975 he was made team manager, replacing Alan Ashman.  He is in the record books as, on appointment, the oldest manager of a Football League club.  It was a difficult time for the club, for relegation from the First Division and poor form left Dick to fight an uphill battle.  He signed the striker United needed in the First Division, Billy Rafferty, and brought in a towering centre half, Ian Macdonald.  The club, as was expected, struggled and after just one year in charge Dick volunteered to resign.  The club refused to allow him to leave and reinstated him as trainer/coach.  He eventually retired from the game in 1982.
Dick Young passed away on 31st January 1989, having seen it all in his days with the club.  No-one would have enjoyed the occasion of United competing for a trophy in a Wembley final more than him.  It would be difficult to find someone who had a bad word to say about him, and other eminent football authorities - managers, players and officials - proclaimed him to be a football thoroughbred, impossible to replace.  How right they were.