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
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

Brentford

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

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

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
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 61000061
1974–75[4] 80000080
1975–76[4] 70000070
Total 2110000211
Watford 1976–77[8] Fourth Division 71200091
Sporting Toulon Var 1977–78[10] French Division 2 7210—82
Career total 3543000384

References
  1. "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. "Still A Bee! – Part One". BFCTalk. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. 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. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 271. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  8. "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. "Football : Richard Poole". Footballdatabase.eu. 3 July 1957. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  11. "Football – club : Toulon". Footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 19 July 2014.


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