Richard Poole (footballer)

Richard John Poole (born 3 July 1957) is an English retired footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Brentford and Watford and in France for Sporting Toulon Var.

Richard Poole
Personal information
Full name Richard John Poole[1]
Date of birth (1957-07-03) 3 July 1957 (age 66)
Place of birth Heston, England
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1969–1974 Brentford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1976 Brentford 21 (1)
1976–1977 Watford 9 (1)
1977–1978 Sporting Toulon Var 7 (2)
Total 37 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career edit

Brentford edit

Along with Kevin Harding, Poole was one of the first players recruited when the Brentford youth team was relaunched in 1972,[2] after joining the club at the age of 12.[3] Poole made his professional debut in a Fourth Division match versus Lincoln City in February 1974, while still an apprentice.[4] At 16 years, 7 months and 20 days old, Poole's league debut was at the time the club's second-youngest.[5] In the final home game of the 1973–74 season, Poole scored one and made another in a 2–0 win against Bradford City on 20 April, a result which saved the Bees from having to apply for re-election.[6] Poole still stands as Brentford's youngest league goalscorer.[7] He signed a professional contract during the 1975 off-season and made seven further appearances for the club,[4] before leaving in July 1976.[7]

Watford edit

Poole joined fellow Fourth Division club Watford in July 1976 and made 9 appearances and scored one goal during the 1976–77 season.[1][8]

Sporting Toulon Var edit

In 1977, Poole emigrated to France and joined Division 2 Group A club Sporting Toulon Var.[9] He made 8 appearances and scored two goals during the 1977–78 season, before a knee ligament injury brought his career to an end in April 1978.[3][10] He was a teammate of future France and Ivory Coast internationals Jean Tigana and Jean-Désiré Sikely respectively.[11]

Career statistics edit

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1973–74[4] Fourth Division 6 1 0 0 0 0 6 1
1974–75[4] 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
1975–76[4] 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 21 1 0 0 0 0 21 1
Watford 1976–77[8] Fourth Division 7 1 2 0 0 0 9 1
Sporting Toulon Var 1977–78[10] French Division 2 7 2 1 0 8 2
Career total 35 4 3 0 0 0 38 4

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Richard Poole". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  2. ^ Hayes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 77. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
  3. ^ a b "Still A Bee! – Part One". BFCTalk. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 392–393. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 126. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  6. ^ White 1989, p. 294.
  7. ^ a b Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 271. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  8. ^ a b "Players – Pate to Pretty" (PDF). Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016. p. 29. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Where are they now?". Wfc.net. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Football : Richard Poole". Footballdatabase.eu. 3 July 1957. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Football – club : Toulon". Footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 19 July 2014.