Ray Richards (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Raymond "Ray" Richards (born 18 May 1946 in England
) is an Australia
n former football (soccer) midfielder
. He was a member of the Australian 1974 World Cup squad in West Germany
and represented the country 60 times in total for 10 goals between 1967 and 1975 as well as representing Queensland
and New South Wales
.
in England
before moving to Australia
. In Australia Richards played with Queensland
club Latrobe. In 1968 he moved to Hollandia
. In 1969 he moved to Sydney
to play for Sydney Croatia. Between 1969 and 1977 Richards played for Marconi in the New South Wales State League and in the first year of the National Soccer League
in 1977. In 1979 Richards played four matches for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers
.
in Germany.
Richards has the dubious honour of being the first Australian to be sent off in a World Cup
match, being sent off in the game against Chile
in 1974. He actually received three yellow cards. It wasn't until the reserve official, Clive Thomas
, informed the linesman of the mistake four minutes after the third yellow card that the referee, Jafar Namdar
, realised his mistake and ordered him off the field.
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...
) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former football (soccer) 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...
. He was a member of the Australian 1974 World Cup squad in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and represented the country 60 times in total for 10 goals between 1967 and 1975 as well as representing Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Biography
Richards was born in England and emigrated to Australia as a teenager. He married Judith Carol Banks in 1971 and had two children; Kim Suzanne (1973), Kristy Lynette (1975). He has five grandchildren; Dylan (15 years), Manaia (6 years), Eric (5 years), Jemma (3 years) and Felix (6 months).Club career
Richards started his football career at CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in England
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...
before moving to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In Australia Richards played with Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
club Latrobe. In 1968 he moved to Hollandia
Queensland Lions Soccer Club
Queensland Lions Football Club is an football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.-History:The club was founded in 1957 as Hollandia-Inala Soccer Club by Dutch immigrants. From the start they were based at grounds in the Brisbane suburb of Richlands, where they still play...
. In 1969 he moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to play for Sydney Croatia. Between 1969 and 1977 Richards played for Marconi in the New South Wales State League and in the first year of the National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
in 1977. In 1979 Richards played four matches for A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers
APIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club, also known as APIA Tigers and Sydney Tigers, is an Australian football club based in Sydney, Australia. The club was formed in 1954, known as APIA Leichhardt, by Italian Australians...
.
International career
In all Richards played 60 times for the Australian national team. Of this number 31 matches were full international matches.1974 World Cup
Richards played in Australia's three matches at the 1974 FIFA World Cup1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
in Germany.
Richards has the dubious honour of being the first Australian to be sent off in a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
match, being sent off in the game against Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in 1974. He actually received three yellow cards. It wasn't until the reserve official, Clive Thomas
Clive Thomas
Clive Thomas is a Welsh former football referee, who operated in the English Football League and for FIFA during his career. He came from Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley.-Career:...
, informed the linesman of the mistake four minutes after the third yellow card that the referee, Jafar Namdar
Jafar Namdar
Jafar Namdar is an Iranian former football referee.-Refereeing career:Namdar officiated as a referee at the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups.When he refereed Australia vs Chile at the 1974 FIFA World Cup Namdar became only the second Asian referee to officiate as a referee at a FIFA World Cup...
, realised his mistake and ordered him off the field.