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.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard John Poole[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 July 1957 | ||
| 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
| 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
- ^ a b "Richard Poole". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ Hayes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopedia. Yore Publications. p. 77. ISBN 1-874427-57-7.
- ^ a b "Still A Bee! – Part One". BFCTalk. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d e White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 392–393. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 126. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ White 1989, p. 294.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Players – Pate to Pretty" (PDF). Watford Football Club archive 1881–2016. p. 29. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ "Where are they now?". Wfc.net. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Football : Richard Poole". Footballdatabase.eu. 3 July 1957. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ "Football – club : Toulon". Footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 19 July 2014.