Damien John Richardson (born 2 August 1947, Dublin) is an Irish football manager and former player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Cork City and formerly managed Gillingham in England and Cobh Ramblers, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.
As a player Richardson's career was divided between Shamrock Rovers and Gillingham. While at Rovers he twice won the FAI Cup in 1968 and 1969 (scoring in the final replay) as well as getting an Inter League cap and represented the club in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup. He received the first of three international caps for the Irish national team while at Shamrock Rovers, making his debut against Austria in Linz in October 1971. He scored in his final appearance for Rovers on the 22nd of October 1972 at Milltown before moving to the English Fourth Division side Gillingham at the age of 25. He played for the Priestfield Stadium side for the next nine years before being released in 1981. During his time there he scored 100 goals.
Richardson's managerial career began in 1989 where he managed Gillingham, having previously served as the club's youth team manager. A rather lacklustre career there ended in 1992 where he returned to Ireland in 1993 to manage Cork City He proved an instant success bringing the club within striking distance of retaining the league title. However, after 18 months he left the club after a dispute with then chairman Pat O'Donovan.
Following Cork City, he moved on another Cork side Cobh Ramblers before taking up the management position at Shelbourne. To date his time at Shelbourne has been the most successful of his management career with two Cup successes (1996/97 and 1997/98), one League Cup (1995/96) and a runner up position in the League (1997/98) in three seasons. His inability to win the league ultimately cost him his job.
Not finding himself short of suitors for his management ability, he moved across Dublin to his old club Shamrock Rovers. His tenure there proved to be frustrating as his three seasons at the helm were trophyless. Ultimately, Richardson and club chairman Joe Colwell disagreed on the direction of the club, and parted ways. Cowell wanted to focus on building a new stadium for the club, while Richardson wanted to focus on a full-time panel of players.
In 2002, Richardson left football management to become a TV soccer pundit with TV3 in Ireland.
Dramatically in 2005 Richardson returned to League of Ireland management when Cork City's manager Pat Dolan was surprisingly sacked before the start of pre-season friendlies. Cork City Chairman Brian Lennox signed the 57 year old Richardson to a two year contract at Turners Cross 15 days before the first competitive match of the season. Richardson commented that the Cork City job was the only one that could have brought him back to League of Ireland management. "Even before I went to Cork in 1993 I always thought there was enormous potential at the club." In his first season in charge Cork City were crowned Eircom League Champions for the second time in the club's history. Cork City also got to the final of the FAI Cup but were defeated by Drogheda United in the final at Lansdowne Road.
As well as his talents as a player and manager Richardson is noted for his eloquence. Despite a certain cavalier attitude to the English language, whereby he coins words and phrases as he likes, there is a certain zen in his observations on soccer, and life in general:
As well as producing some of Irish football's most legendary football quotes, Richardson has displayed some of Ireland's most recognisable icons in football.
Richardson once played the bodhran on an album by Tundra, a folk music group from Kent.
Preceded by
Keith Burkinshaw
Gillingham F.C. Manager
1989-1992
Succeeded by
Glenn Roeder
Preceded by
Colin Murphy
Shelbourne Manager
1995-1998
Succeeded by
Dermot Keely
Cork City F.C. - Current squad
1 Devine | 2 Horgan | 3 Ryan | 4 Farrelly | 5 O'Callaghan | 6 Murray | 7 O'Brien | 8 Gamble | 9 O'Flynn | 10 O'Donovan | 11 Woods | 14 Cillian Lordan | 15 Healy | 16 McNulty | 17 Carroll | 18 Softić | 19 Murphy | 21 Behan | 23 Harrington | 25 Kelly | 26 Cathal Lordan | 27 Lally | 30 Kearney | Manager: Richardson
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Richardson"
Categories: Republic of Ireland footballers | Shamrock Rovers F.C. players | Shamrock Rovers managers | Gillingham F.C. players | Republic of Ireland football managers | Gillingham F.C. managers | Football League of Ireland players | Shelbourne F.C. managers | Football League of Ireland managers | Republic of Ireland international footballers
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