Billy Richardson was an Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 soccer player during the 1940s.

Richardson played junior football with Mountpleasant and narrowly missed out on winning an Irish Junior cap in 1939 due to the beginning of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He joined Bohemians

Bohemian F.C.

Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...

 in 1942 and played for the "B" team at centre half. He soon made his debut for the first team away to Cork United F.C. and established himself the following season with some great displays at full back (both right and left).

He played in 2 Cup Finals in 1945; losing the FAI Cup

FAI Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...

 Final 1-0 to Shamrock Rovers in front of a record attendance of over 41,000 at Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...

 but making up for that defeat by beating Belfast Celtic

Belfast Celtic

Belfast Celtic Football Club was a football club in Northern Ireland that was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until forced to withdraw from the Irish League in 1949.-History:...

 3-2 on aggregate in the Inter City Cup

Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup

The Dublin and Belfast Inter-city Cup was a soccer competition that ran for eight seasons in Ireland between and including 1941/42-1948/49. Each season's competition consisted of 6 teams from each of the 2 jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, the Irish Football Association and the Football...

 Final.

Two seasons later, he was a member of the team that once again reached two Cup Finals; winning the 1946/47 Leinster Senior Cup

Leinster Senior Cup (football)

The Leinster Senior Cup is an association football cup competition organised by the Leinster Football Association. It contested by the top League of Ireland sides based in the province in Leinster along with four Leinster Senior League sides and the two Leinster Junior Cup finalists. The Cup was...

 Final by a record score of 11-0 against Grangegorman but losing the 1947 FAI Cup Final against Cork United F.C.. He was made club captain in 1947/48 and capped it by scoring his only ever goal for Bohs with a strike from his own half against Jacobs in the Leinster Senior Cup

Leinster Senior Cup (football)

The Leinster Senior Cup is an association football cup competition organised by the Leinster Football Association. It contested by the top League of Ireland sides based in the province in Leinster along with four Leinster Senior League sides and the two Leinster Junior Cup finalists. The Cup was...

. At the end of that season, he represented Ireland in the Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

 against Holland at Portsmouth

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...

..

Richardson died on April 9, 2004.

Honours

• Inter City Cup
  Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup
  The Dublin and Belfast Inter-city Cup was a soccer competition that ran for eight seasons in Ireland between and including 1941/42-1948/49. Each season's competition consisted of 6 teams from each of the 2 jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, the Irish Football Association and the Football...
  
  
  • Bohemians - 1945

• Leinster Senior Cup
  Leinster Senior Cup (football)
  The Leinster Senior Cup is an association football cup competition organised by the Leinster Football Association. It contested by the top League of Ireland sides based in the province in Leinster along with four Leinster Senior League sides and the two Leinster Junior Cup finalists. The Cup was...
  
  
  • Bohemians - 1946/47

• Represented Ireland
  Ireland at the 1948 Summer Olympics
  Ireland competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. A dispute between rival Irish Athletics governing bodies saw many Irish athletes barred from taking part in the Athletics competitions...
  
   in 1948 Olympic Games
  Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics
  The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put...
  
  

External links

• Richardson at the 1948 Olympic Games