W. G. Richardson

William "Ginger" Richardson (29 May 1909 – 29 March 1959) often referred to as W.G. Richardson and by the nickname 'Ginger' to avoid confusion with teammate Bill Richardson, was an English professional footballer, who played as a centre forward.

W.G. Richardson

Personal information
Full name	William Richardson
Date of birth	(1909-05-29)29 May 1909
Place of birth	Framwellgate Moor, County Durham, England
Date of death	29 March 1959(1959-03-29) (aged 49)
Place of death	Perry Barr, Birmingham, England
Position(s)	Centre forward
Youth career
	Horden Wednesday
	United Bus Company (Hartlepool)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1928–1929	Hartlepools United	29	(19)
1929–1945	West Bromwich Albion	320	(202)
1945–1946	Shrewsbury Town	?	(?)
International career
1935	England	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He scored both goals for West Bromwich Albion when they won the 1931 FA Cup Final, beating their Midlands rivals Birmingham City 2–1.[1]

He scored four goals within the space of five minutes, all within the first ten minutes of the match, for West Brom against West Ham United at Upton Park on 7 November 1931.[2]

In the 1935–36 season, he scored 39 League goals, which is still West Bromwich Albion's club record for top scorer in the top division of the football league system.

Richardson was the nephew of the English cricketer, Tom Richardson. In 2004, he was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations.[3]

Richardson died on the field of play, during a charity match between a City of Birmingham 'All Stars XI' and a Television celebrity team, having stepped in at the last moment when the playing staff of Birmingham City were placed under quarantine due to a polio outbreak, which would claim the life of another former cup finalist, Jeff Hall a fortnight later.