Richard Key played for Exeter City between 1975 and 1978. He joined the club from Coventry City and later played for Cambridge United. He was a member of the team that won promotion in 1976/77.

He joined Exeter City as a 19-year-old having previously been a junior at Coventry City. He went straight into the Grecians’ first team and made his league debut against Torquay United at Plainmoor in September 1975. Appearing 37 times for City during 1975/76, he then featured in the first thirty-one games of City’s 1976/77 promotion-winning season before breaking an ankle at Crewe on 11 March 1977. With the hastily-signed John Baugh stepping into his place for the final fifteen games, Richard recovered to become first-choice again in 1977/78 when he added a further 41 league appearances to his tally. 

He was then transferred to Cambridge United in August 1978 for a fee of £10,000 where he had Richard 52 league outings for Cambridge as well as a loan spell with Northampton Town. He subsequently joined Orient in August 1983, for whom he played 42 league games, before a brief stay at Brentford and a move to Sunderland to provide goalkeeping cover. After being loaned back to Cambridge United, he was briefly with both Swindon Town and Brentford before finishing with Southern League Cambridge City. He later moved to the Isle of Wight and returned to St James’ Park for a reunion of the 1976/77 team. 

Richard contacted the club in 2022/23:.

"My name is Richard Key and I am an old player (goalkeeper) of Exeter City having played over 100 games during the mid/late 1970’s. I moved away from the area when I was transferred and even though my wife’s family still live in the City, my association with the club has been minimal. I was kindly invited to a match day to celebrate the 25th anniversary for the promotion winning season of 76/77, and I also played in a charity match nearly 20 years ago against the New York firemen following America’s ‘twin tower’ disaster."