 Richards in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Justin Donovan Richards[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-10-16)16 October 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | Sandwell, England[1] | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1999 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | West Bromwich Albion | 1 | (0) |
| 2001–2003 | Bristol Rovers | 16 | (0) |
| 2002 | →Colchester United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | →Stevenage Borough (loan) | 13 | (6) |
| 2003–2004 | Stevenage Borough | 29 | (3) |
| 2004–2006 | Woking | 79 | (35) |
| 2006–2007 | Peterborough United | 13 | (1) |
| 2006 | →Grays Athletic (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Boston United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Kidderminster Harriers | 65 | (22) |
| 2008 | →Oxford United (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Cheltenham Town | 44 | (15) |
| 2010–2011 | Port Vale | 42 | (9) |
| 2011–2013 | Burton Albion | 48 | (12) |
| 2013 | →Oxford United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | Oxford United | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Tamworth | 18 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Sutton Coldfield Town | ||
| 2015–2017 | Stourbridge | ||
| 2017–2018 | Sutton Coldfield Town | ||
| 2018 | Hednesford Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2018 | Rushall Olympic | 8 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2006 | England C | 1 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Justin Donovan Richards (born 16 October 1980) is an English formerfootballer who played as astriker. He has a tally of around one goal every four games and has played mostly in theConference and lower reaches of theEnglish Football League. Something of ajourneyman player, he has tended to play for teams in his local area aroundthe Midlands andSouthern England.
Richards started his career atWest Bromwich Albion in 1997 but failed to establish himself at the club in four years. After two years withBristol Rovers, he switched toStevenage Borough. In 2004, he signed withWoking, and after a highly successful two years, he was snapped up byPeterborough United. In 2007, he joinedKidderminster Harriers, where he stayed for two years before he signed withCheltenham Town. In the summer of 2010, he was signed toPort Vale before moving on toBurton Albion the following year and toOxford United and thenTamworth in 2013. He signed withSutton Coldfield Town in July 2014 andStourbridge in September 2015, before returning to Sutton Coldfield Town in December 2017. The following summer, he joinedRushall Olympic viaHednesford Town. In addition to this, he has enjoyed sixloan spells atColchester United, Stevenage Borough,Grays Athletic,Boston United and Oxford United.
Richards began his career atWest Bromwich Albion, becoming an apprentice in July 1997 and becoming professional in 1999.[3] He made his Albion debut as asubstitute againstIpswich Town in March 1999,[4] and made one further substitute appearance the following season before moving on toIan Holloway'sBristol Rovers for £75,000 in January 2001.[3] A week after signing him, Holloway left the club.[5] Richards joinedColchester United onloan on 22 October 2002.[6] He spent six weeks atLayer Road, making three substitute appearances forSteve Whitton's "U's".[6] In three seasons with the "Pirates" he started just three games and could do little to prevent the club'srelegation from the second to third tier in2000–01. At the end of 2002 he joinednon-LeagueStevenage Borough on loan, scoring six goals in 13 games, including ahat-trick againstFarnborough Town.[7]
Richards signed a permanent deal with Borough in March 2003.[8] His high-scoring loan spell was not matched by a ratio of three goals in thirty games during his year-long injury-affected spell as a full-time Stevenage player.[9] In May 2004 he moved on toWoking.[10] Hisfirst season at the club was a moderate success with 14 goals. During the2005–06 season, Richards was the second top scorer in theConference with 22 goals in all competitions. This goalscoring record attracted the attention ofLeague Two clubPeterborough United.
Richards moved to Peterborough in June 2006 on afree transfer, signing a two-year deal.[11] This came despite interest fromBurton AlbionmanagerNigel Clough.[12] He scored just one goal for Peterborough before being loaned out to Conference clubGrays Athletic in November 2006,[13] as part of a deal which saw Peterborough sign Gray's strikerAaron McLean.[14] He was recalled by the "Posh" the next month.[15] Despite continued interest from Nigel Clough,[16] in January 2007 Richards joinedBoston United, then in League Two, on a one-month loan.[17]
At the end of the2006–07 season, unwanted at 'Boro byDarren Ferguson,[18] Richards dropped back out of the Football League, signing forKidderminster Harriers on a free transfer.[19] He was considered a big signing for the club.[20] He scored six goals in 22 appearances in his opening season with the "Harriers". In January 2008, he joinedOxford United on loan until the end of the season.[21] He managed just one goal in 15 appearances for theOxfordshire club.
Richards returned to Kidderminster and decided to stay on at the club for the2008–09 season. He enjoyed his second-most prolific season in the Conference, hitting 17 goals in all competitions. Hisshooting partner, and good friend,[22]Matthew Barnes-Homer managed to top this tally with 19 goals.
In June 2009, Richards signed a one-yearcontract withCheltenham Town, making his second return to league football. He enjoyed a successful season in which he was the club's top scorer with 15 goals in 44 games.[23] In summer 2010 Richards was offered a fresh contract at Cheltenham, but was also approached by League Two rivalsPort Vale.[24] In June 2010 Richards agreed terms with Port Vale.[25]
"Even at 29, there's things I can improve him on, I've had a decent record working with centre-forwards. The way we play will suit him and he knows he's got to work hard."
— Micky Adams speaking toBBC Radio Stoke.
He settled in quickly at the club, building a partnership with his namesakeMarc Richards in the2010–11 pre-season,[26] which continued into the league campaign.[27] He quickly endeared himself to "Valiants" fans, scoring a brace in their 3–1 win atChampionship sideQueens Park Rangers in theLeague Cup first round.[28][29] This was followed by a 13-game barren spell, which was ended by three goals in four games, including a strike that took the club into the third round of the FA Cup.[30] The Richards duo's partnership was ended in January when Marc suffered a thigh injury; upon his recovery Justin was dropped to make way for loan strikerTom Pope.[31] Richards scored his first hat-trick in theEnglish Football League on 30 April, along withLouis Dodds, in a 7–2 win overMorecambe.[32] In all he helped himself to 14 goals in fifty appearances that season, whilst his strike partner and namesake hit twenty goals in 46 games.
In July 2011, Richards signed a two-year contract with Vale's nearby League Two rivalsBurton Albion after moving on a free transfer.[33] Though the move came as a surprise to outside observers, Burton managerPaul Peschisolido said that "Justin is a player I admire and...I'm sure he'll bring us goals."[34] Richards scored twice on his league debut, helping Burton earn a 2–2 draw atTorquay United on 6 August.[35] After four games without a goal, he then went on a streak of six goals in five games, including a brace against Oxford United at theKassam Stadium. Richards finished the2011–12 campaign with 12 goals in 37 appearances.
Under the stewardship ofGary Rowett, Richards slipped behindCalvin Zola,Matt Paterson, andBilly Kee in a largely single-striker system in2012–13.[36] He returned toChris Wilder's Oxford United on loan for a second time in January 2013; he was signed to provide cover for the suspendedJames Constable.[37] He played three games for Oxford. Rowett released him from his contract at thePirelli Stadium at the end of the month.[38] He signed for Oxford on a deal until the end of the2012–13 season on deadline day, 1 February 2013.[39] However, after less than two weeks he was ruled out of action for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury.[40] He was one of 12 players released by managerChris Wilder in May 2013.[41]
In June 2013, Richards signed a contract withTamworth to play for them in the Conference Premier for the forthcoming season; managerDale Belford stated that securing his services was a "massive coup" for the "Lambs".[42] He scored only one goal in 18 league appearances throughout the 2013–14 season, as the "Lambs" suffered relegation.
Neil Tooth, manager ofNorthern Premier League Division One South sideSutton Coldfield Town, signed Richards in July 2014.[43] He finished as the "Royals" top-scorer in the2014–15 season with 23 goals, helping the club to winpromotion after beatingLeek Town in the play-off final.[44]
He moved on to Northern Premier League Premier Division rivalsStourbridge in September 2015.[45] The club finished in sixth place in2015–16, and qualified for the play-offs with a third-place finish in2016–17 before losing 1–0 toSpennymoor Town in the play-off final.[46] He rejoined Sutton Coldfield Town in December 2017.[47] Town were relegated after they finished bottom of the Northern Premier League Premier Division at the end of the2017–18 season. He went on to joinHednesford Town but left the club less than a month after it was confirmed they would not be placed in the Southern League Premier Division Central the following season.[48] On 20 July 2018, he joinedRushall Olympic in the Southern League Premier Division Central.[49] The "Pics" finished the2018–19 season in eighth-place, with Richards scoring one goal in 12 games.[50]
His success at Woking earned him a call-up to theEngland C team in May 2006.[51] He scored in his only game, a 1–1 draw with Wales in the Four Nations Tournament atPriory Lane.[52] His career as a semi-international was quickly ended once he joined Football League clubPeterborough United later that year.
On 19 December 2010, Richards and four friends took part in a drunken brawl with another man during a night out inLeeds.[53] The following year, he pleadedguilty toaffray, and was fined £2,000 and given a community order with 100 hours unpaid work.[53] Two of his friends were suspended prison sentences, while the other two were fined and given unpaid work.[53] Judge James Spencer QC accepted that the men behaved out of character and were ashamed of their behaviour.[53][54]
In June 2011 he was studying to complete a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting atStaffordshire University, alongside former teammatesGareth Owen,Adam Yates, andRitchie Sutton.[55]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 1998–99[56] | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999–2000[57] | First Division | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000–01[58] | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Bristol Rovers | 2000–01[58] | Second Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2001–02[59] | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2002–03[60] | Third Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Colchester United (loan) | 2002–03[60] | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Stevenage Borough | 2002–03[60] | Conference | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | |
| 2003–04[61] | Conference | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| Total | 42 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 9 | ||
| Woking | 2004–05[62] | Conference | 41 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a][b] | 0 | 44 | 14 |
| 2005–06[63] | Conference | 38 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a][b] | 1[a] | 45 | 22 | |
| Total | 79 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 89 | 36 | ||
| Peterborough United | 2006–07[64] | League Two | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Grays Athletic (loan) | 2006–07[64] | Conference | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Boston United (loan) | 2006–07[64] | League Two | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Kidderminster Harriers | 2007–08[65] | Conference | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | |
| 2008–09[66] | Conference | 39 | 16 | 2 | 1 | — | 1[b] | 0 | 42 | 17 | ||
| Total | 65 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 70 | 23 | ||
| Oxford United (loan) | 2007–08[65] | Conference | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Cheltenham Town | 2009–10[67] | League Two | 44 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 47 | 15 |
| Port Vale | 2010–11[68] | League Two | 42 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2[a] | 1[a] | 50 | 14 |
| Burton Albion | 2011–12[69] | League Two | 35 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 1[a] | 37 | 12 |
| 2012–13[70] | League Two | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| Total | 48 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 52 | 13 | ||
| Oxford United | 2012–13[70] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Tamworth | 2013–14[71] | Conference Premier | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| Rushall Olympic | 2018–19[50] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Career total[c] | 405 | 106 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 449 | 114 | ||
Woking
Sutton Coldfield Town
