ONE OF the greatest goalscorers ever to play for Walsall, Tony Richards was released by his first club, Birmingham City, in May 1952 after having signed as an amateur for the Blues in October 1950 from Birmingham FA works team, Hopes.

He turned professional in December 1951, however, National Service was the rule of the day for 18 year-olds at that time and Richards spent two years in the Royal Artillery, playing a fair amount of services football and netting a double hat-trick in one game.

After demobilization he had trials with both Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves, but was not retained and was on the point of giving up football when he decided to write to Major Frank Buckley, then manager of Walsall, asking if he could have a trial at Fellows Park.

He made a big impression and after a fine debut in the reserves in September 1954, Richards was given his Football League baptism against Bristol City only 12 days later and never looked back. He went on to claim almost 200 goals in 358 matches for The Saddlers, including a haul of 185 in 338 League games.

He simply enjoyed scoring, it came naturally to him, and he was certainly the spearhead of the Walsall attack throughout the late 1950s, then helping the club win the fourth division title in 1960 and gain promotion to Division Two the following season. In both seasons he was the club's top scorer, with 26 League and Cup goals in the first and 36 in the second.

Not the most stylish of centre-forwards, he had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. He left Walsall in March 1963, signing for Port Vale where he stayed until June 1965, adding another 30 League goals to his tally in 63 appearances.

In the mid-1960s he was registered with Nuneaton Borough and in 2000 had the distinction of being voted as the greatest-ever Walsall player of the 20th century.

Still attends matches here at the Banks's Stadium on a regular basis.