*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 Shittu
Appearances: 3+1 Goals: 2
Date / Year of birth: 12th June 1978
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 2008/09
Season of last appearance: 2008/09
Also played for: Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging (Belgium), Billericay Town, Gornoslaski Klub Sportowy Tychy '71 (Poland), Unia Bierui Stary (Poland), Bury (0), Milton Keynes Dons (0), Folkestone Invicta, Cheshunt, Tring Corinthians, Maidenhead United, Bracknell Town, Halesowen Town, Hitchin Town, Godalming Town, Windsor & Eton, Beaconsfield SYCOB and Waltham Forest
Tall Nigerian centre-forward who spent time playing in Poland as a youngster before moving to Belgium in 1999. Richard had a spell on the books of Club Brugge and also played volleyball professionally for Belgian team Torhout before relocating to England early in 2002.
In April 2002 he joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Billericay but Richard never played a first team game there and in the summer of 2002 he went back to Poland.
He scored nine goals for Polish club GKS Tychy during the 2002/03 season and also spent 2003/04 there too.
Richard moved on to Unia Bierui Stary, another Polish outfit, for the 2004/05 campaign and in July 2005 he had a trial with Oxford United but suffered an ankle injury in his only friendly outing for the club and had to go to hospital.
He carried on playing in Poland during 2005/06 before briefly returning to England for a trial with Bury in September 2006. Richard played in their reserves but wasn't signed by the Shakers.
By April 2007 he was back in England and Richard played for MK Dons' reserves before the end of the 2006/07 season during a trial spell with the club.
After seven months out of football Richard resurfaced in November 2007 when he signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Folkestone and he went on to score twice from eight outings before being released in January 2008. Richard left the club as he'd been unable to agree terms for a contract having initially played for expenses only.
He finished the 2007/08 campaign with Southern League Premier Division outfit Cheshunt and scored once from seven appearances there before leaving the club at the end of the season.
Richard started 2008/09 with Tring Corinthians of the Spartan South Midlands Football League and on 27.9.08 he scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 at Totternhoe. He also turned out for Maidenhead's reserves during October and November 2008 whilst still a Tring player. Richard had scored 13 goals for them before signing for Margate at the start of December 2008.
He made his debut as a substitute in a 2-2 draw with Carshalton in the Isthmian League Premier Division at Hartsdown Park on 6.12.08 and the Thanet Times said Richard "made an instant impact". Manager Terry Yorath told the paper "He's got the size, the stature that makes other people frightened of him and he's got a bit of mobility as well. He's the kind of player that we need - we've needed all season."
Richard made his first start on 20.12.08 as Margate entertained Harlow and scored twice in a 3-0 win. His first goal was described as "stunning" by the Isle of Thanet Gazette and the paper described how a good move gave Richard the chance to "rocket home a terrific first-time volley from just inside the area". Assistant manager Neville Southall said "To be fair, it was either going to hit the moon or go in the back of the net. Richard worked really hard for us. In the past, we've played balls up and they've not stuck but he won the header every time or won it and got it wide."
Richard also started the next two matches and The Non-League Paper said he was "ever-dangerous" in a 2-0 home defeat against Dover on 3.1.09 but that turned out to be Richard's last outing for Margate. He was released a few days later having scored twice from four appearances (one as sub) and the Thanet Times said "for a bloke his size, he didn't prove to be the old-fashioned centre-forward Yorath was hoping for". Terry Yorath told the paper "The first two games he played he looked very good but since then I've been really disappointed with him. You look at the Ramsgate game and the way Ollie Schulz absolutely dominated him against Dover and I just didn't think we were going to get the right physical presence and link-up play you need."
After leaving Margate Richard joined Southern League Division 1 South & West outfit Bracknell but only played twice for them before moving on to Halesowen in February 2009.
He scored three goals from eight outings (three as sub) for the Southern League Premier Division club and then joined Hitchin, also of the Premier Division, in March 2009.
Richard finished 2008/09 with Hitchin before linking up with Hemel Hempstead in the summer of 2009.
After featuring in some of Hemel's friendlies Richard moved on to Godalming before the start of the 2009/10 season proper and he went on to score six goals from 36 Isthmian League Division 1 South outings (29 as sub) during the campaign. He also scored six times in cup ties including a goal as Godalming beat Sutton 2-1 in the Surrey Senior Cup Final on 4.5.10.
Richard stayed with Godalming for the start of the 2010/11 season and scored once from 13 Division 1 South appearances (nine as sub) as well as finding the net three times in cup ties including a goal in a 1-1 draw at Ramsgate in the FA Cup on 28.8.10.
In December 2010 Richard had a brief spell with Southern League Premier Division club Windsor & Eton but only made two appearances (one as sub) before being released.
Early in January 2011 he signed for Beaconsfield SYCOB of the Southern League Division 1 Central and in March 2011 Richard linked up with Waltham Forest.
He scored once from five outings (three as sub) for the Isthmian League Division 1 North outfit before the end of the 2010/11 campaign and stayed with Forest for the 2011/12 season too. Richard scored twice from 41 appearances (20 as sub) during 2011/12 and then left the club at the end of the campaign.
His volleyball career saw him play at a high level for the likes of London Docklands and London Lynx whilst Richard's younger brother Danny made over 300 Football League appearances for the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Watford and Millwall and also won around 30 caps for Nigeria.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2008/09 (MFC) |
3 (46) |
1 |
2 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||