Justin Donovan Richards (born 16 October 1980) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He has a tally of around one goal every four games and has played mostly in the Conference and lower reaches of the English Football League. Something of a journeyman player, he has tended to play for teams in his local area around the Midlands and Southern England.
Richards started his career at West Bromwich Albion in 1997, and failed to establish himself at the club in four years. After two years with Bristol Rovers he switched to Stevenage Borough. In 2004, he signed with Woking, and after a highly successful two years was snapped up by Peterborough United. In 2007, he joined Kidderminster Harriers, where he stayed for two years before he signed with Cheltenham Town. In the summer of 2010 he was signed to Port Vale, before moving on to Burton Albion the following year, and to Oxford United and then Tamworth in 2013. He signed with Sutton Coldfield Town in July 2014 and Stourbridge in September 2015, before returning to Sutton Coldfield Town in December 2017. The following summer he joined Rushall Olympic via Hednesford Town. In addition to this he has enjoyed six loan spells at Colchester United, Stevenage Borough, Grays Athletic, Boston United and Oxford United.
Club career
Richards began his career at West Bromwich Albion, joining as an apprentice in July 1997 and turning professional in 1999. He made his Albion debut as a substitute against Ipswich Town in March 1999, and made one further substitute appearance the following season before moving on to Ian Holloway's Bristol Rovers for £75,000 in January 2001. A week after signing him Holloway left the club. Richards joined Colchester United on loan on 22 October 2002. He spent six weeks at Layer Road, making three substitute appearances for Steve Whitton's "U's". In three seasons with the "Pirates" he started just three games and could do little to prevent the club's relegation from the second to third tier in 2000–01. At the end of 2002 he joined non-League Stevenage Borough on loan, scoring six goals in thirteen games, including a hat-trick against Farnborough Town.
Richards signed a permanent deal with Borough in March 2003. His high-scoring loan spell was not matched by a ratio of three goals in thirty games during his year-long injury-affected spell as a full-time Stevenage player. In May 2004 he moved on to Woking. His first season at the club was a moderate success with fourteen goals. During the 2005–06 season Richards was the second top scorer in the Conference with 22 goals in all competitions, a goalscoring record that attracted the attention of League Two club Peterborough United.
Richards moved to Peterborough in June 2006 on a free transfer, signing a two-year deal. This came despite interest from Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough. He scored just one goal for Peterborough before being loaned out to Conference club Grays Athletic in November 2006, as part of a deal which saw Peterborough sign Gray's striker Aaron McLean. He was recalled by the "Posh" the next month. Despite continued interest from Nigel Clough, in January 2007 Richards joined Boston United, then in League Two, on a one-month loan.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, unwanted at 'Boro by Darren Ferguson, Richards dropped back out of the Football League, signing for Kidderminster Harriers on a free transfer. He was considered a big signing for the club. He scored six goals in 22 appearances in his opening season with the "Harriers". In January 2008, he joined Oxford United on loan until the end of the season. He managed just one goal in fifteen appearances for the Oxfordshire club.
Richards returned to Kidderminster and decided to stay on at the club for the 2008–09 season. He enjoyed his second most prolific season in the Conference, hitting seventeen goals in all competitions. His shooting partner, and good friend, Matthew Barnes-Homer managed to top this tally with nineteen goals.
In June 2009, Richards signed a one-year contract with Cheltenham Town, making his second return to league football. He enjoyed a successful season in which he was the club's top scorer with 15 goals in 44 games. In summer 2010 Richards was offered a fresh contract at Cheltenham, but was also approached by League Two rivals Port Vale. In June 2010 Richards agreed terms with Port Vale.