Frank Richardson (footballer, born 1897)

Frank Richardson (29 January 1897 – 19 May 1987 ) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Reading, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town, West Ham United and Stoke.[1]

Frank Richardson
Personal information
Full name Frank Richardson[1]
Date of birth (1897-01-29)29 January 1897[1]
Place of birth Barking, England
Date of death 19 May 1987(1987-05-19) (aged 90)[1]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1920–1921 Barking Town
1921–1922 Plymouth Argyle 63 (37)
1922–1923 Stoke 14 (3)
1923–1924 West Ham United 10 (2)
1924–1926 Swindon Town 53 (33)
1926–1929 Reading 91 (44)
1930–1931 Swindon Town 38 (11)
1931 Mansfield Town 0 (0)
Total 269 (130)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Richardson was born in Barking and played for the local club Barking Town before joining Plymouth Argyle in 1921. In his first season as a professional he scored 31 goals in 41 matches as Plymouth finished in 2nd place in the Third Division South which included a hat-trick on his debut. He signed for First Division Stoke in March 1923 but only scored once as Stoke were relegated at the end of the 1922–23 season.[1] He scored just twice in 1923–24 and was sold to West Ham United where he gain struggled in the top flight and he decided to return to the Third Division South joining Swindon Town.[1]

He soon rekindled his goalscoring ability scoring 15 in 35 appearances in 1924–25 and then an impressive 18 in 19 in 1925–26 which also included 10 in 4 FA Cup matches.

Midway through the season he joined Reading scoring 12 goals in the last 13 matches which saw the "Biscuitmen" win the Third Division South title. In 1926–27 he again had a good season in the cup scoring nine goals in ten, including the only goal in front of Reading's record crowd of 33,042 against Brentford. Reading reached the semi-final that year, losing out to Cardiff City. He left Elm Park in the summer of 1930 having scored 55 goals in 103 matches.

Frank then spent 1930–31 at Swindon scoring 11 goals in 39 matches and had a short spell at Mansfield Town before deciding to retire.

When Reading won promotion in 1976, 50 years after Frank achieved the feat in 1926, he was invited to celebrate with the team. Ten years later Reading won Division Three again, and Frank was invited back as the only surviving member of that team.[3]

Career statistics

Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Plymouth Argyle 1921–22 Third Division South 4131204331
1922–23 Third Division South 226242410
Total 6337446741
Stoke 1922–23 First Division 810081
1923–24 Second Division 620062
Total 14300143
West Ham United 1923–24 First Division 10210112
Swindon Town 1924–25 Third Division South 3415103515
1925–26 Third Division South 19184102328
Total 53335105843
Reading 1925–26 Third Division South 1312001312
1926–27 Second Division 36181094627
1927–28 Second Division 3111223313
1928–29 Second Division 10300103
1929–30 Second Division 100010
Total 9144121110355
Swindon Town 1930–31 Third Division South 3811103911
Career Total 2691302325292155

Honours

Reading

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. "The lure of promotion. Stoke". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. Biscuits and Royals by David Downs, Fericon Press, Reading, 1986
  4. Frank Richardson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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