Starkey began his career at
Blackpool as an
inside forward, making three appearances before a move to
Shrewsbury Town led to him playing regularly in attack alongside the prolific
Arthur Rowley. In April 1963, Starkey dropped into
Football League Division Four with
Chester, where he would soon be converted into a
full back by new manager
Peter Hauser. His spell at Chester would see him not miss a league game in
1964–65 but his career was to finish prematurely early in the
1966–67 season when he suffered a serious illness. After retiring from playing, Starkey set up a sports shop in
Shrewsbury with
Dave Pountney and became a coach at his former club Shrewsbury Town. It was the start of a long stint with the club, which included long spells as both secretary and a director of the club. He was rewarded for his loyalty with a testimonial match between Shrewsbury and
Aston Villa in May 2002.{{Cite news ==External links==