In the true tradition of great Wolves strikers, Richards set a club scoring record that stood until Steve Bull came along.
His strike partnership with Derek Dougan blossomed in the 1971–2 season when Wolves reached the UEFA Cup final. The following campaign brought his best goals total – 36. It earned him an England cap against Northern Ireland at Goodison Park but he was not played in his recognised club position and many thought him unlucky never to get another chance. Richards’s natural instincts as a goal-getter continued to serve the club well and his nickname “King John” reflected his status among the fans. His greatest moment came at Wembley in 1974. He hit the winning goal against Manchester City as a 2–1 win brought the Football League Cup to Molineux. Six years later he was in the team who won the same trophy with a 1–0 win over European champions Nottingham Forest. He was also in the side who won the Second Division championship in 1977. Richards later served as a director of the club and then managing director.
Date of birth: November 9, 1950, Warrington.
Years with Club: 1969 to 1983.
Club signed from: Joined as trainee.
Appearances: 485.
Goals: 194.
International caps: 1 for England, 6 England under-23, 2 England under-21.
