*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Richard Avery
Appearances: 110+4 Goals: 12
Date / Year of birth: 15th March 1986
Position: Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 2011/12
Season of last appearance: 2013/14
Also played for: Dartford, Chatham Town, Faversham Town and Thamesmead Town
London-born player who spent three years in the youth set-up of Bexleyheath-based club Phoenix Sports as a schoolboy at a time when they were managed by future Dartford boss Tony Burman.
After a trial at Manchester City Richard joined Dartford for the 2003/04 campaign and made his first team debut in a game against Newport IOW in February 2004. At that time he usually played as a centre-back.
He started to feature regularly for the Darts during the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons and on 12.11.05 Richard was in the side that won 1-0 at Margate in an FA Trophy upset. Margate's website report said he was one of Dartford's "key performers" on the day and at the end of 2005/06 Richard was chosen in the Southern League Division 1 East select X1.
The Darts switched to the Isthmian League for the 2006/07 campaign and Richard scored three times in 37 Division 1 South outings during the season but during the first half of 2007/08 he struggled to gain a regular place in Dartford's side.
In February 2008 Richard was loaned to Division 1 South outfit Chatham and he made nine league appearances there without scoring before going back to Princes Park.
He was released by Dartford at the end of the 2007/08 campaign, shortly after they clinched the Division 1 North title, and Richard had only featured in nine league games (five as sub) during the season.
In July 2008 he returned to Chatham and Richard captained them during the 2008/09 campaign, scoring once from 37 Division 1 North outings (one as sub). He then made 29 appearances and scored twice during 2009/10 - a season which saw Chatham back in Division 1 South of the Isthmian League.
In the summer of 2010 Richard joined Division 1 South newcomers Faversham but after making 17 appearances there without scoring he left the club at the start of November 2010.
Richard then signed for Thamesmead and on 6.11.10 he was sent off on his debut for handling on the goal-line as the London club drew 2-2 with visitors Sudbury in a Division 1 North match. Richard went on to make a total of 25 league appearances and scored twice during the remainder of the season.
In the summer of 2011 he joined Margate and at that time Richard was working as a football coach at the company as his new team-mate Dean Grant. A few days before the start of the 2011/12 campaign manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He's played mostly at centre-half but we brought him in with the intention of converting him to central midfield. He's very, very fit, quite mobile and good in the air, so I think he'll do a decent job for us in there".
On 20.8.11 Richard made his debut in a holding midfield role as Margate drew 1-1 at Wealdstone in the Isthmian League Premier Division and from then on he was a fixture in the number four shirt. The Thanet Times said he "had a solid game in front of Margate's back four" in a 2-1 win over Horsham at Horsham YMCA on 3.9.11 and on 24.9.11 Richard scored his first goal with what the Times described as "a thumping first-time volley which flew into the corner" from the edge of the penalty area as Margate lost 2-1 at home to Tooting & Mitcham.
He got his next goal in a 1-1 draw with Wealdstone in an FA Trophy tie at Hartsdown Park on 5.11.11 and the Thanet Times picked Richard as Margate's man-of-the-match. The paper said he was "terrific" in a 1-1 draw at Billericay on 10.12.11 and "covered every blade of grass, won most of the 50/50 challenges and was particularly effective in the air". Richard also scored Margate's goal.
On 21.1.12 he found the net with a thumping header from a Laurence Ball cross in a 5-1 home win over Lewes and the Thanet Times said Richard "broke up play a treat in the middle and got attacks rolling". He then made it back-to-back goals with a strike in a 4-3 defeat against visitors Charlton in the Kent Senior Cup on 24.1.12.
Richard continued to turn in solid displays during the closing months of the season and on 25.2.12 he got his sixth goal in a 3-2 defeat against Bury at Hartsdown Park. The Thanet Times described it as a "cracking low effort".
In its report on a 3-1 home defeat against Cray on 9.4.12 the Isle of Thanet Gazette said Richard "looked the part at times, doing exactly what you want from him as a holding midfielder, breaking up play and giving the ball simple but his good work just went to waste as Blues squandered possession". He finished the 2011/12 campaign having scored six times in 53 appearances (one as sub) and Richard only missed one match during the season.
He started the 2012/13 campaign with a goal on the opening day as Margate beat Hendon 2-0 in an Isthmian League Premier Division game at Hartsdown Park on 18.8.12 and Richard's effort from the edge of the penalty area took a wicked deflection to break the deadlock. The Thanet Times said his shot "was a poor one at best". From then on Richard was ever-present in midfield for the next few months, apart from missing some minor cup ties.
On 6.11.12 he got his second goal of the season in a 2-1 win at Leiston and Richard then found the net in each of his next two outings as well. After scoring in a 2-0 win at Harrow on 10.11.12 he was on target with an excellent far-post header in a 3-1 home win over Bury on 17.11.12 and Richard continued to play a key role in Margate's midfield for the remainder of the year.
On 5.1.13 he made what turned out to be his last appearance of the campaign in a 2-1 defeat at Concord Rangers and Richard then suffered a muscle tear which ended his season. He'd scored four times in 25 outings before injury intervened.
Richard was a qualified Level 2 coach and before his spell with Margate he'd appeared as model in some advertisements on Nike's website.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2011/12 (MFC) |
52 (54) |
1 |
6 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (15TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2QR |
3R |
QF |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2012/13 (MFC) |
25 (50) |
0 |
4 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22) |
3QR |
1QR |
2R |
QF |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2013/14 (MFC) |
33 (56) |
3 |
2 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (11TH OF 24) |
2QR |
3QR |
3R |
1R |
|