Dick Richards (footballer)

Richard William Richards (14 February 1890 – 29 January 1934) was a Welsh footballer who played in various forward positions in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and Fulham, and internationally for Wales.

Dick Richards
Personal information
Full name Richard William Richards
Date of birth (1890-02-14)14 February 1890
Place of birth Glyn Ceiriog, Wales
Date of death 29 January 1934(1934-01-29) (aged 43)[1]
Playing position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Bronygarth
Chirk
Oswestry United
1913–1922 Wolverhampton Wanderers 88 (22)
1922–1924 West Ham United 43 (5)
1924–1925 Fulham 21 (2)
Mold
1927–1928 Colwyn Bay United
National team
1920–1925 Wales 9 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Richards was born in Glyn Ceiriog[lower-alpha 1] and played non-league football for Bronygarth, Chirk and Oswestry United before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers.[2]

During his time at Wolves, Richards played 88 League games either side of World War I, scoring 22 goals.[2] He gained five caps for Wales while with the club,[3] scoring in a 2–1 win against England during the 1919–20 British Home Championship.[4]

He joined West Ham United in 1922 for a fee of £300.[5] Initially joining as an outside-left, he was moved to the opposite flank to accommodate Jimmy Ruffell.[1] The 1922–23 season saw Richards make 34 Second Division appearances. He also made 10 cup appearances for the club, including the 1923 FA Cup Final loss to Bolton Wanderers. The following season, after promotion to the First Division, Richards made a further ten appearances, including a single FA Cup appearance that saw the Hammers bow out of the competition to Second Division Leeds United.[6] Richards picked up more international caps, playing at inside-left, at the 1923–24 British Home Championship, which saw victories for Wales against all three other teams.[1]

In 1924, after 53 appearances for West Ham, Richards left for Fulham.[6] He made 24 appearances for the west London club, scoring twice, but his time there was hampered by injury.[3] He went on to play for Welsh teams, Mold,[lower-alpha 2] where he gained the last of 9 caps, and Colwyn Bay United, where he finished his career.[1] He then went to work for an electricity company in Cheshire, where he sustained a back injury which led to his death, age 42.[3]

Notes
  1. According to most of the listed sources, although Who's Who of West Ham United gives his birthplace as Chirk
  2. Sources vary as to whether the club was named Mold F.C. or Mold Town F.C.

References
  1. Belton, Brian (2006). The Lads of '23. SoccerData. p. 76. ISBN 1-899468-91-9.
  2. Joyce, Michael (2012) [2002]. Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-905891-61-0.
  3. Hogg, Tony (2005). Who's Who of West Ham United. Profile Sports Media. p. 176. ISBN 1-903135-50-8.
  4. "England in the Home International Championship 1919-20 Season (32nd)". englandfootballonline.com. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  5. Simkin, John. "Dick Richards". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  6. "Dick Richards". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
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