Ritchie Aidan Sutton (born 29 April 1986) is an Englishfootball player andmanager who plays as adefender forKidsgrove Athletic.

Beginning his career atCrewe Alexandra, he never made the first team. Instead, he enjoyedloan spells atnon-LeagueLeek Town andStafford Rangers. He was released by Crewe in 2007. He returned to the non-League scene withNorthwich Victoria,Halifax Town andNantwich Town. In the summer of 2010, he signed withPort Vale before making the switch toMansfield Town the following year. He won theConference National title with Mansfield in 2012–13 and won the club's Player of the Season award in 2014–15. He moved to Tranmere Rovers in May 2015 and was loaned to Barrow in March 2016. He helped Tranmere to winpromotion back into theEnglish Football League with victory in theNational League play-off final in 2018, before he was allowed to joinMorecambe in January 2019. He returned to non-League football withAltrincham in August 2020. He was loaned out toAlfreton Town for the 2021–22 season and joinedNantwich Town as a player-coach in July 2022.

Sutton was appointed joint manager at Nantwich Town in September 2022 alongsideGary Taylor-Fletcher. He later resumed his playing career withWhitchurch Alport,Hednesford Town,Bootle and Kidsgrove Athletic.

Sutton started as ayouth team player atCrewe Alexandra, turning professional in the summer of 2005. Hisfirst season was spent on two separateloan spells at local sideLeek Town, of theNorthern Premier League Premier Division.^[3] He made his senior debut on 29 January 2005, in a 3–2 victory atFarsley Celtic.^[4] He made a total of 19 appearances across the two loan spells.^[4] In March 2006, he joined another localnon-League side,Stafford Rangers, on loan.^[5] Rangers achievedpromotion from theConference North through the play-offs at the end of the season.^[6]

In May 2006 he was offered a new one-yearcontract bymanagerDario Gradi.^[7] At the start of the2006–07 season he was sent out on loan back toStafford Rangers, now in theConference National.^[8] The loan deal was initially only a month long,^[9] but ended up being extended to the end of the season,^[10] despite Sutton spending a month out to undergo knee surgery.^[11] However, when he returned toGresty Road he was informed that he would not be offered a new contract,^[12] at which point he signed with Rangers permanently. By the end of the season, he was an occasionalcaptain.^[13] He made 79 Conference appearances for the club over all his spells.^[14]

In the summer of 2008, he moved on to Conference clubNorthwich Victoria, though joinedHalifax Town of theNorthern Premier League Division One North on loan in December of that year.^[15] In January 2009 he joined Halifax permanently,^[16] though would only remain at the club for the rest of the season.

He signed forNantwich Town in June 2009,^[17] and had to turn down an offer of a trial atFootball League club Port Vale in the summer of 2009 because of this contract.^[18] Manager Pete Hall felt Sutton could play professionally again, but warned of the player's disciplinary record.^[19] He made forty appearances for the "Dabbers" in 2009–10; signing a new, more flexible contract in summer 2010.^[20] During the season he saw fourred cards.^[21] Throughout the season he also worked at a Crewe-based accident management company.^[22]

In July 2010, he had a successful trial atLeague TwoPort Vale,^[23] and was offered a short-term deal.^[24] This meant a return to professional football, as he gave up a full-time job to join the Vale.^[25] He was suspended for the opening six games of the season due to his record of four red cards in the previous season (this suspension included a previously unserved three match ban).^[26] He made his debut in theFootball League Trophy on 31 August 2010, in a 2–1 win overRochdale atVale Park.^[27] In December he signed an extension to keep him at the club until the end of the season, despite having made just five appearances, managerMicky Adams felt Sutton performed well when called upon.^[28] Sutton had also shed 2 stone (28 lb; 13 kg) within six months.^[29]

In June 2011, he was unveiled at Conference clubMansfield Town, having signed a one-year contract afree transfer.^[30][31] ManagerPaul Cox said that "I've had my eye on Ritchie since his days at Crewe. He is a big strong 'unit' who will hopefully be a good acquisition for the club."^[32] He was one of three Mansfield players injured in a pre-seasonfriendly withIlkeston,^[33] and so missed the start of the season.^[34] He made his debut from the bench on 27 August, in a 3–0 home win overKettering Town, before he was given his first start in a 1–0 win againstStockport County two days later. He played the next twenty consecutive league andFA Cup games until a secondyellow card picked up in a 3–1 defeat atSouthport saw him suspended for one game.^[35] The "Stags" reached the play-off semi-finals; however, Sutton wassent off atField Mill for a late challenge onYork City'sMatty Blair, and watched from the sidelines as his team were knocked out of the play-offs in extra time.^[36] Mansfield won promotion into the Football League as Conference champions in2012–13. However, Sutton was largely confined to the bench following the arrival ofJames Jennings in January.^[37] His contract was extended by a further year in the summer.^[38]

He made 39 appearances during the2013–14 campaign, and became a key feature of the club's 3-5-2formation.^[39] During the2014–15 season he was asked to play as an attacking right-back by managerAdam Murray.^[40] He adapted well to the role, and was named as the club's Player of the Season.^[41]

Sutton signed a two-year contract withTranmere Rovers, newly-relegated into the Conference Premier, in May 2015 after impressing managerGary Brabin with his "no-nonsense" defending.^[42][43] He was sent off in a 1–1 draw atWelling United on 5 September, though had the red card overturned on appeal.^[44] He made 24 appearances in the first half of the campaign, before losing his first-team place afterSteve McNulty andMichael Ihiekwe formed a centre-back partnership in December.^[45] Sutton joinedBarrow on loan until the end of the2015–16 season on 4 March 2016.^[46] His loan spell atHolker Street was ended early after he suffered a slighthamstringtear in his tenth appearances for the club.^[47] Speaking in December 2016, Sutton said new Tranmere bossMicky Mellon had improved his game after playing Sutton in a centre-back partnership alongsideSteve McNulty as Tranmere conceded only 16 goals in a run of 24 games.^[48] Having scored four goals in 27 games during the2016–17 season, a season cut short due to anAchilles injury, he signed a new two-year contract in May 2017.^[49]

He scored five goals in 49 appearances as Rovers won promotion back into theEnglish Football League at the end of the2017–18 season. He was taken off athalf-time of the play-off final victory overBoreham Wood atWembley Stadium after picking up an injury.^[50]

On 9 January 2019, Sutton signed with League Two sideMorecambe; "Shrimps" managerJim Bentley said that "he's an out and out honest, solid defender who enjoys defending and will certainly add to our squad".^[51] He went on to play 14 games by the end of the2018–19 season and remained under contract for the following campaign.^[52] On 14 December 2019, he was sent off for afoul onDom Telford in a 3–0 defeat atPlymouth Argyle.^[53] He made 19 appearances throughout the2019–20 season and was released by managerDerek Adams at the end of his contract.^[54]

On 12 August 2020, Sutton signed a two-year contract with recently promotedNational League sideAltrincham.^[55] He became a part-time professional atMoss Lane, which as a father suited his family commitments.^[56] Manager Phil Parkinson said that Sutton could be a good mentor for the younger players.^[57] He played 18 games in the2020–21 season, scoring one goal.^[58]

On 10 September 2021, Sutton joinedNational League North sideAlfreton Town on an initial one-month loan deal.^[59] In November 2021, he rejoined the club on loan until the end of the2021–22 season.^[60] He featured 28 times in total during his two spells atNorth Street.^[58] Altrincham released him at the end of his contract.^[61]

Sutton joinedWhitchurch Alport in theMidland League Premier Division, before signing with Northern Premier League Division One West sideHednesford Town in September 2023.^[62] He ended the2023–24 season at divisional rivalsBootle. He began the2024–25 campaign withKidsgrove Athletic.

Sutton is adefender who plays primarily as an intelligent and physical centre-half, though he has also played as an attacking right-back.^[57]

On 3 July 2022, Sutton returned to Northern Premier League Premier Division side Nantwich Town on a player-coach basis.^[63] Following a spell asinterim manager, Sutton was given the role permanently on 21 September 2022, alongsideGary Taylor-Fletcher.^[64] The duo were sacked by the club in February 2023 with Nantwich sitting in the relegation zone, three points from safety.^[65]

Sutton supportsPort Vale and has been a season-ticket holder at the club.^[66] He spent the first six years of his life inBurslem before his family relocated toCrewe.^[22] In June 2011, he was studying to complete a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting atStaffordshire University, alongside former Port Vale teammatesGareth Owen,Adam Yates, andJustin Richards.^[67]

As of match played 22 October 2024

Individual

• Mansfield Town F.C. Player of the Season:2014–15^[41]

Stafford Rangers

• Conference North play-offs:2006

Mansfield Town

• Conference National:2012–13

Tranmere Rovers

• National League play-offs:2018^[50]

• 1986 births
• Living people
• Footballers from Burslem
• English men's footballers
• Men's association football defenders
• Crewe Alexandra F.C. players
• Leek Town F.C. players
• Stafford Rangers F.C. players
• Northwich Victoria F.C. players
• FC Halifax Town players
• Nantwich Town F.C. players
• Port Vale F.C. players
• Mansfield Town F.C. players
• Tranmere Rovers F.C. players
• Barrow A.F.C. players
• Morecambe F.C. players
• Altrincham F.C. players
• Alfreton Town F.C. players
• Whitchurch Alport F.C. players
• Hednesford Town F.C. players
• Bootle F.C. players
• Kidsgrove Athletic F.C. players
• English Football League players
• National League (English football) players
• Northern Premier League players
• Alumni of Staffordshire University
• English football managers
• Nantwich Town F.C. managers
• Northern Premier League managers
• 21st-century English sportsmen

• CS1: unfit URL
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use British English from June 2013
• Use dmy dates from April 2023