View source for Robert Clift

{{short description|British field hockey player}}
{{Distinguish|text=[[Robert Clift Jr.]] (1824–1859), an American soldier and early settler in California}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
{{Infobox field hockey player
| name           = Robert Clift
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1962|8|1}}
| birth_place    = [[Newport, Wales]]
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height = 182 cm
| weight = 77 kg
| position = inside left
| years1 = 1982–1984
| clubs1 = [[Nottingham Hockey Club|Nottingham]]
| years2 = 1984–1987
| clubs2 = [[Hounslow Hockey Club|Hounslow]]
| years3 = 1987–1988
| clubs3 = [[Southgate Hockey Club|Southgate]]
| years4 = 1988–1992
| clubs4 = [[East Grinstead Hockey Club|East Grinstead]]
| nationalyears1= 
| nationalteam1 =  [[Great Britain men's national field hockey team|Great Britain]]
| nationalcaps(goals)1 = 
| nationalyears2= 
| nationalteam2 = [[England men's national field hockey team|England]] 
| nationalcaps(goals)2 = 
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport   | Men's [[field hockey]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{GBR2}} }}
{{MedalComp    | [[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold    | [[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Seoul]] | [[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Team competition]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}
{{MedalComp    | [[Hockey World Cup]] }}
{{MedalSilver  | [[1986 Men's Hockey World Cup|1986 London]] | Team competition }}
}}

'''Robert John Clift''' (born 1 August 1962) is a British former [[field hockey]] player. He was a member of the [[Great Britain men's national field hockey team|Great Britain]] squad in the [[Field hockey at the 1988 Summer Olympics|1988]] Summer Olympics in Seoul where they won a gold medal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001816/19881002/043/0043 |title=Olympic cloud |work=Birmingham Weekly Mercury |date=2 October 1988 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Clift was born in [[Newport, Wales]], and was educated at [[Bablake School]] and the [[University of Nottingham]].<ref name=oly>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/18735 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref>

His preferred position was inside left and in November 1982 he received his first England call up while studying at Nottingham and playing for [[Nottingham Hockey Club]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19821120/015/0015 |title=England call cheers Clift |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=20 November 1982 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref> Clift signed for [[Hounslow Hockey Club]] for the 1984/85 season and while there won silver with the [[England men's national field hockey team|England]] squad at the [[1986 Men's Hockey World Cup]] in October.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Robert Clift |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/robert-clift-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040814/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/robert-clift-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |accessdate=26 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Remembering the boys of 86 |publisher=[[Sports Journalists' Association]] |url=http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sports-digest/remembering-the-boys-of-86/ |date=17 October 2006 |accessdate=20 November 2014}}</ref>

Clift moved to [[Southgate Hockey Club]] for the 1987/88 season and while at Southgate represented [[Great Britain at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Great Britain]] at the 1988 Olympic Games in [[Seoul]] and winning a gold medal with the team.<ref name=oly/> 

After the Olmpics he joined [[East Grinstead Hockey Club|East Grinstead]] and represented England at the [[1990 Men's Hockey World Cup]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003661/19891103/038/0038 |title=Hockey World Cup |work=Birmingham News |date=3 November 1989 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref> and captained the [[Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Great Britain]] team at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.<ref name=oly/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19920506/232/0015 |title=Youth and experience in GB hockey squad |work=Dundee Courier |date=6 May 1992 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref>

After the Olympics, Clift joined Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club as their coach.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003666/19920814/016/0016 |title=GB captain joins Wells |work=Kent & Sussex Courier |date=14 August 1992 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{sports links}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|robert-clift}}

{{Navboxes
| title=Robert Clift – International Tournaments
| bg   = white
| fg   = navy
| list1=
{{England FH Squad 1986 World Cup}}
{{Great Britain FH Squad 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{England FH Squad 1990 World Cup}}
{{Great Britain FH Squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}
{{England FH Squad 1994 World Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clift, Robert}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:1990 Men's Hockey World Cup players]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham]]
[[Category:British male field hockey players]]
[[Category:East Grinstead Hockey Club players]]
[[Category:English male field hockey players]]
[[Category:English Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic field hockey players for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:People educated at Bablake School]]
[[Category:Southgate Hockey Club players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Newport, Wales]]