John Richards (footballer)
John Peter Richards ( born November 9, 1950 in Warrington ) is an English former football player. The striker was 1969-1983 at the same time at the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, role model and audience favorite. With 194 hits, he is still behind Steve Bull, the player with the second most competitive match goals in the history of the " Wolves ".
Sports career
Although " JR " was born in the middle of the rugby stronghold of Warrington and the sport went about in school, it was the football, to whom he owed his first success. Just as he scored six goals in a student selection game, he fell on Tony Penman, who had mixed as Scout of the Wolverhampton Wanderers spectators. Penman refunded immediately Joe Gardiner report, which in turn organized the talent scouting in the club. Richards was invited to an audition, he graduated to the reserve team of Wolves. Although he missed out on the 4-0 win against the second representation of Derby County, he had convinced the leaders and joined so in June 1966, the junior section of the club among youth coach Barry Powell.
For the first time in the first team he came on February 28, 1970 against West Bromwich Albion is used, which ended in a 3-3 draw. He remained in his first four league inserts in the outgoing season 1969/70 without its own goal, but hit it in the so-called " Anglo-Italian Cup" against Fiorentina. In the following year he did not get beyond the status of a supplementary player. In 14 league operations he was only four games in the starting line-up, which he against Huddersfield Town ( 3-1 ) met for the first time on September 19, 1970. More often he was in the so-called Texaco Cup show his skill; this competition, he won even with his team. The season 1971/72 brought Richards ultimately the sporting breakthrough. He became a regular in Wolverhampton and scored 13 league goals. About the country's borders known was the "new number 9" the association also by his performances in the UEFA Cup, when he, for example, the only goal in a 1-0 victory at East German side FC Carl Zeiss Jena and later the first goal in the semi-final first leg at Ferencvaros Budapest (2-2 ) shot - ultimately lost Richards and his team are the all-English final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Up in the national elite of English football catapulted the extremely responsive technician with his performances in the season 1972/73. In addition to 27 league goals he scored nine goals in various cup games (three in the FA Cup, League Cup and Texaco Cup). This brought the club a fifth place in the championship one; the domestic " cup " competitions each ended in the semifinals. On May 12, 1973, he studied at Goodison Park then against Northern Ireland under Alf Ramsey on the left wing position his first - and only - full internationals for England (2:1). The first " big title " Richards won a year later than at Wembley, he won the League Cup final against Manchester City on March 2, 1974. The decisive goal steered Richards, its use has long been questionable due to persistent pelvic problems, in the 85th minute to make it 2-1 final score even at.
In the remaining 1970s, the top scorer was true except for the season 1976/77 is always the top scorer of his team, but the Wolves fell off in the lower half of the table. In 1976, Richards had to do the course in the Second Division compete, but it back "repaired" by winning the second division championship in the season was. The rare successes were further held in the cup competitions and in 1980 succeeded to the final victory in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest - the reigning Euro Cup Winners ' Cup - a 1-0 surprise success. It was the last highlight in Richard's career at Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was followed two years later, the inglorious relegation from the First Division. In his last year, the Wolves hired him for two months at Derby County from before Richards adopted last four league games. With a goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers the career of "King John " ended with his long-time club. His 194 competitive goal meant at that time a record for the Wolves, who was only nine years later improved by Steve Bull.
Richards could end his active career in the Portuguese second division club Maritimo Funchal until 1985, then returned in 1994 after the death of Billy Wright to the Wolves back. He has held a directorship there until his retirement in the summer of 2000.
Achievements
- English League Cup Winners: 1974, 1980
- Texaco Cup winner: 1971