John Richards
Posted on: Wed 17 Nov 2004
King John, J.R. or Richie were the names given by the fans to the man who captured the hearts of Wolves supporters throughout the seventies and early eighties. A man whose skills and goals earned him a place forever in the memories of those who saw him play: John Richards.
It was in the Rugby League stronghold of Warrington that John Peter Richards was born on the 11th November 1950. At school John played both rugby and soccer and his talent with the round ball was recognised when he was picked to play for the Lancashire Grammar Schools side. In one game against an English Public Schools team he scored six and scouts from throughout the country started to make a note of him. Luckily for Wolves one of their scouts, Tony Penman, alerted the club to Richards obvious skills.
Wolves' chief scout at the time was Joe Gardiner and he beat the other two clubs showing a keen interest, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday, and invited John to a Molineux trial in the form of a reserve game against, co-incidentally, Derby County. Although he didn't score in a 4-0 win he signed for Wolves the following week and moved into digs with former player and youth team coach Barry Powell. John's debut in the First Division came just nine months after he signed for the club, in the 3-3 draw away at West Bromwich in February 1970. He made three further appearances that season without getting on the scoresheet. His first goal for the club came in the Anglo Italian Cup against Fiorentina at Molineux.
The 1970/71 term saw him again only play four league games and a couple in the Texaco Cup but he did score the first of his 144 league goals for the club. He came on as a substitute against Huddersfield Town at Molineux and got one of Wolves' three goals, and again as substitute he scored at the Baseball Ground to equalise an early Derby goal in a third round FA cup tie which saw Wolves eventually going down to a last minute winner. But in 1971/72 John was to make the number nine shirt his own. He played in all but two of the UEFA Cup games which saw Wanderers finish as runners up in that season's competition. He scored against Academica Coimbra, got the winner against Carl Ziess Jena in East Germany and notched one in Hungary against Ferencvaros. He also scored 13 in the league.
But it was to be the next season that was to prove best with regards to John's scoring efforts, although it was to be one of great disappointment to him and his team mates. After ending the previous term narrowly losing out to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Cup Final Wolves finished a creditable fifth in the First Division but twice had the doors to Wembley slammed in their face when they reached the semi-finals of both FA and Football League Cup competitions. John scored 27 League goals including hat tricks against Stoke City and Everton. He also got three in the FA Cup, three in the League Cup and three in the Texaco Cup, a grand total of 36 goals.
His efforts earned him what was to be his only full England cap in the May of that season. Because of the political situation in Northern Ireland, England's game was moved over to the mainland and played at Goodison Park. The crowd included plenty of Wolves fans urging him on but Alf Ramsey played John wide on the left and although he had a hand in both goals in England's 2-1 victory, he wasn't to play for his country again at full level.
The 1973/74 campaign saw John earn his first reward with the club when Wolves lifted the Football League Cup at Wembley. No Wolves fan of the time will ever forget, whether they saw the goal live or later on TV, Richards running in and hitting the ball perfectly into the bottom corner of the net. It was one of 18 goals he scored in a season which ended straight after the final for John when the pelvic injury he had been carrying, one that should really have prevented him from playing at Wembley, finally took its toll.
Six out of the following seven seasons saw John finish as top scorer for the club whilst undergoing the despair of relegation and joy of immediate promotion and he gained another League Cup Winners medal when Wolves defeated Nottingham Forest in the 1980 final. The elation of that cup win was followed by two seasons of disappointment in the League and relegation in 1982. The following term saw John appear for Derby during a two month loan spell before he made two final League appearances for Wolves, the last coming in the home goalless draw with Bolton.
He wound up his playing career playing in Madeira for Portuguese Division Two side Maritimo. John held Wolves all time scoring record with 194 goals in all competitions until it was eclipsed by Steve Bull 1992.
He returned to Molineux as a director following the death of Billy Wright in 1994 and then became the club's managing director - a position he left in the summer of 2000.
It was in the Rugby League stronghold of Warrington that John Peter Richards was born on the 11th November 1950. At school John played both rugby and soccer and his talent with the round ball was recognised when he was picked to play for the Lancashire Grammar Schools side. In one game against an English Public Schools team he scored six and scouts from throughout the country started to make a note of him. Luckily for Wolves one of their scouts, Tony Penman, alerted the club to Richards obvious skills.
Wolves' chief scout at the time was Joe Gardiner and he beat the other two clubs showing a keen interest, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday, and invited John to a Molineux trial in the form of a reserve game against, co-incidentally, Derby County. Although he didn't score in a 4-0 win he signed for Wolves the following week and moved into digs with former player and youth team coach Barry Powell. John's debut in the First Division came just nine months after he signed for the club, in the 3-3 draw away at West Bromwich in February 1970. He made three further appearances that season without getting on the scoresheet. His first goal for the club came in the Anglo Italian Cup against Fiorentina at Molineux.
The 1970/71 term saw him again only play four league games and a couple in the Texaco Cup but he did score the first of his 144 league goals for the club. He came on as a substitute against Huddersfield Town at Molineux and got one of Wolves' three goals, and again as substitute he scored at the Baseball Ground to equalise an early Derby goal in a third round FA cup tie which saw Wolves eventually going down to a last minute winner. But in 1971/72 John was to make the number nine shirt his own. He played in all but two of the UEFA Cup games which saw Wanderers finish as runners up in that season's competition. He scored against Academica Coimbra, got the winner against Carl Ziess Jena in East Germany and notched one in Hungary against Ferencvaros. He also scored 13 in the league.
But it was to be the next season that was to prove best with regards to John's scoring efforts, although it was to be one of great disappointment to him and his team mates. After ending the previous term narrowly losing out to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Cup Final Wolves finished a creditable fifth in the First Division but twice had the doors to Wembley slammed in their face when they reached the semi-finals of both FA and Football League Cup competitions. John scored 27 League goals including hat tricks against Stoke City and Everton. He also got three in the FA Cup, three in the League Cup and three in the Texaco Cup, a grand total of 36 goals.
His efforts earned him what was to be his only full England cap in the May of that season. Because of the political situation in Northern Ireland, England's game was moved over to the mainland and played at Goodison Park. The crowd included plenty of Wolves fans urging him on but Alf Ramsey played John wide on the left and although he had a hand in both goals in England's 2-1 victory, he wasn't to play for his country again at full level.
The 1973/74 campaign saw John earn his first reward with the club when Wolves lifted the Football League Cup at Wembley. No Wolves fan of the time will ever forget, whether they saw the goal live or later on TV, Richards running in and hitting the ball perfectly into the bottom corner of the net. It was one of 18 goals he scored in a season which ended straight after the final for John when the pelvic injury he had been carrying, one that should really have prevented him from playing at Wembley, finally took its toll.
Six out of the following seven seasons saw John finish as top scorer for the club whilst undergoing the despair of relegation and joy of immediate promotion and he gained another League Cup Winners medal when Wolves defeated Nottingham Forest in the 1980 final. The elation of that cup win was followed by two seasons of disappointment in the League and relegation in 1982. The following term saw John appear for Derby during a two month loan spell before he made two final League appearances for Wolves, the last coming in the home goalless draw with Bolton.
He wound up his playing career playing in Madeira for Portuguese Division Two side Maritimo. John held Wolves all time scoring record with 194 goals in all competitions until it was eclipsed by Steve Bull 1992.
He returned to Molineux as a director following the death of Billy Wright in 1994 and then became the club's managing director - a position he left in the summer of 2000.
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