Ian Richardson (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ian Richardson is an English
former professional footballer and football manager. He played 260 games in the Football League
for Birmingham City
and Notts County
, where he spent most of his professional career, including for a time acting as caretaker manager
. He played as a midfielder
or centre half
.
. He worked as a meat-porter at Smithfield Market and played football part-time before his performances with Dagenham & Redbridge
in the Conference National
earned him a £60,000 move to Birmingham City
, newly promoted to the Football League First Division
(the second tier of English football), in the 1995 close season. Dagenham teammate Jason Broom described him as "Never the most gifted player in the world but was a ferocious tackler. He used to get from box to box and scored lots of goals mainly through his excellence in the air." He made his debut in the Football League
on 8 October 1995, as a substitute replacing Jonathan Hunt
in a 2–0 win at home to Southend United
. Only three months later Richardson joined Notts County
on loan. Though he returned to Birmingham and made three more first-team appearances, including a place in the starting eleven for the second leg of the League Cup
semi-final against Leeds United
, Richardson joined Notts County on a permanent basis in March 1996 for a fee of £150,000.
In the 1997–98 season, Richardson was part of Sam Allardyce
's Notts County team which won the Division Three
title by a record margin and at a record early date. A £350,000 move to Wimbledon
foundered on a failed medical, much to the delight of County's manager Jocky Scott
. With the club in financial difficulties, Richardson took a pay cut to remain at County because his family were settled in the area. His contract expired at the end of the 2002–03 season; with the club in administration and subject to a transfer embargo, it was not until August 2003 that the Football League gave them permission to offer Richardson monthly terms. Richardson said that "the problems never influenced the players on the pitch – only during every other moment when they weren't playing."
Richardson was appointed caretaker
player-manager in November 2004 after the departure of Gary Mills, though his injured knee restricted him to a largely managerial role. He successfully led the team away from relegation and to the Third Round of the FA Cup
, but was replaced as manager by Gudjon Thordarson at the end of the season. Despite his limited playing appearances in the 2004–05 season, Richardson was voted County's Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and was selected as League Two
's "Unsung Hero" in BBC Sport
s alternative awards list. After his playing contract expired in June 2005, he was given a monthly contract to allow him time to prove his fitness; despite playing in two reserve games, the club's view was "the knee has not made a sufficient recovery for the acquired level of professional football", and Richardson was released. The player took legal advice and consulted the Professional Footballers' Association
, but after trials with Peterborough United
and Burton Albion
, he decided to retire as a player and to accept the offer of a testimonial match and a coaching role with the club's Football in the Community programme.
As of 2010, Richardson was working as Activity Manager for Notts County's Football in the Community programme, which won the League Two Best Community Initiative Award at the 2008 Football League Awards ceremony for a project designed to use football to approach the improvement of self-esteem and life skills of adult males with mental health issues.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional footballer and football manager. He played 260 games in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, where he spent most of his professional career, including for a time acting as caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
. He played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
or centre half
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Career
Richardson was born in BarkingBarking
Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
. He worked as a meat-porter at Smithfield Market and played football part-time before his performances with Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
in the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
earned him a £60,000 move to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, newly promoted to the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(the second tier of English football), in the 1995 close season. Dagenham teammate Jason Broom described him as "Never the most gifted player in the world but was a ferocious tackler. He used to get from box to box and scored lots of goals mainly through his excellence in the air." He made his debut in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
on 8 October 1995, as a substitute replacing Jonathan Hunt
Jonathan Hunt (footballer)
Jonathan Richard Hunt is an English footballer who plays for A.F.C. Hornchurch. He made more than 200 appearances in the Football League for a variety of clubs and played in the Premier League for Derby County.-Football career:...
in a 2–0 win at home to Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
. Only three months later Richardson joined Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on loan. Though he returned to Birmingham and made three more first-team appearances, including a place in the starting eleven for the second leg of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-final against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, Richardson joined Notts County on a permanent basis in March 1996 for a fee of £150,000.
In the 1997–98 season, Richardson was part of Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
's Notts County team which won the Division Three
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
title by a record margin and at a record early date. A £350,000 move to Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
foundered on a failed medical, much to the delight of County's manager Jocky Scott
Jocky Scott
John Alexander Scott is a Scottish football coach and former player probably best known for his playing career, and three managerial spells with Dundee. Scott is currently the manager of Scottish Football League club Stirling Albion.- Club career :Scott played for Scotland, Dundee and Aberdeen...
. With the club in financial difficulties, Richardson took a pay cut to remain at County because his family were settled in the area. His contract expired at the end of the 2002–03 season; with the club in administration and subject to a transfer embargo, it was not until August 2003 that the Football League gave them permission to offer Richardson monthly terms. Richardson said that "the problems never influenced the players on the pitch – only during every other moment when they weren't playing."
Richardson was appointed caretaker
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
player-manager in November 2004 after the departure of Gary Mills, though his injured knee restricted him to a largely managerial role. He successfully led the team away from relegation and to the Third Round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, but was replaced as manager by Gudjon Thordarson at the end of the season. Despite his limited playing appearances in the 2004–05 season, Richardson was voted County's Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and was selected as League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
's "Unsung Hero" in BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
s alternative awards list. After his playing contract expired in June 2005, he was given a monthly contract to allow him time to prove his fitness; despite playing in two reserve games, the club's view was "the knee has not made a sufficient recovery for the acquired level of professional football", and Richardson was released. The player took legal advice and consulted the Professional Footballers' Association
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
, but after trials with Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
, he decided to retire as a player and to accept the offer of a testimonial match and a coaching role with the club's Football in the Community programme.
As of 2010, Richardson was working as Activity Manager for Notts County's Football in the Community programme, which won the League Two Best Community Initiative Award at the 2008 Football League Awards ceremony for a project designed to use football to approach the improvement of self-esteem and life skills of adult males with mental health issues.