John Richards (footballer)
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| John Richards | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Peter Richards | |
| Date of birth | November 9, 1950 | |
| Place of birth | Warrington, England | |
| Playing position | Striker | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1969-1983 1982-1983 1983-1985 |
Wolves → Derby County (loan) Marítimo |
385 (144) 10 (2) - (-) |
| National team | ||
| 1972-1974 1973 1977 1978 |
England Under 23 England England Under 21 England B |
6 (1) 1 (0) 2 (0) 3 (0) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
John Richards (born November 9, 1950 in Warrington) is a former English international footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Richards signed for the Molineux club as a trainee in July 1967 and made his debut on February 28, 1970 in a 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion. He scored his first league goal for Wolves the following season against Huddersfield Town on September 19, 1970.
In 1971-72, "King John" came of age, scoring 13 league goals and helping Wolves become runners-up in the UEFA Cup. The following season he was even stronger, scoring 36 goals in total (his highest seasonal tally) and, in 1974, he scored the winning goal as the team beat Manchester City to win the League Cup. Richards was leading scorer for Wolves in six of the next seven seasons, culminating in winning a second League Cup medal in 1980 against Nottingham Forest.
During his time with the club, Richards became Wolves’ all-time leading scorer with 194 goals in total, a record that was subsequently bettered by Steve Bull in 1992. However, he still holds the club record for the most FA Cup goals, with 24.
Richards eventually left the club and moved to Portugal in 1983, following a loan spell with Derby County. He played two seasons for C.S. Marítimo, helping the side to promotion.[1]
Richards' goal-scoring prowess was rewarded with a single England cap, against Northern Ireland on May 12, 1973 at Goodison Park. The competition for international places was fierce, though, and the acknowledged talent England possessed in the form of Kevin Keegan, Martin Chivers and Allan Clarke ensured Richards became a "one cap wonder".
After retiring as a player, Richards went into local government. However he later returned to Wolves as managing director in 1994, a post he held until 2000.
[edit] References
Lloyd, Grahame (2001). One Cap Wonders: The Ultimate Claim to Football Fame (Hardback), Robson Books. ISBN 1-86105-415-7.
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