Wolves legend 'overwhelmed' at city freedom honour
Wolves legend John Richards said he was "a little overwhelmed" but it was a "real privilege" to be granted the freedom of Wolverhampton.
The 74-year-old spent most of his footballing career at Wolves, scoring 194 goals in 485 appearances from 1969 to 1983 and was nicknamed King John by fans.
He was awarded the freedom honour by the city council at the Civic Centre on Friday.
"I am a Lancastrian by birth but an adopted Wulfrunian and I've been connected with the city for more than half a century, I'm so proud to be part of this community", Richards said.
The City of Wolverhampton Council said he was recognised for his "outstanding" services to football alongside his commitment to the club's charitable foundation.
The freedom is the highest honour the council can award and is only given to "exceptional cases", a spokesperson for the authority added.
"I am aware of some of the people who have received this in the past so I am in esteemed company", Richards said.
Other city stars granted the honour including another former Wolves striker, Steve Bull, along with heptathlete Denise Lewis and singer and actor Beverley Knight.
Richards won two League Cups with the club and also played in the first Uefa Cup final in 1972, which Wolves lost to Tottenham.
He remains the second highest scorer in the club's history with one of his most memorable goals being in the 1974 League Cup final.
That game marked his first at Wembley and he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
In Friday's ceremony he was presented with a scroll, badge and casket from the Mayor of Wolverhampton, councillor Linda Leach, who said Richards was a "superb ambassador" for the city.
Leach added that the 74-year-old continued to support former players and raise money for charity.
"He is truly deserving of this distinguished honour and on behalf of the people of Wolverhampton, I wish to thank him for all that he has done and continues to do for our city," she said.
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Wolves legend to be given freedom of the city
City of Wolverhampton Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Spurs manager could PUSH forward to Liverpool
Semenyo 'on the list' for Liverpool The same Sky Sports report suggests that Tottenham are currently stepping up their interest in the Bournemouth forward. The 25-year-old is under contract with the Cherries until 2029 and it would take a sizeable bid to dislodge him from the Vitality Stadium. Advertisement Ghana international Semenyo scored 11 goals and added six assists in the Premier League last season, leading to significant transfer interest from not only Spurs but also Manchester United. And, intriguingly, Sky Sports also states that Semenyo is ALSO a target for Liverpool this summer. Crucially the Reds would have the edge on Man Utd due to their Champions League participation.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Spurs sack Vilahamn after poor WSL campaign
Tottenham have sacked head coach Robert Vilahamn after two years in charge. The Swede led Spurs to their first Women's FA Cup final in May 2024 but his side finished second-bottom in this season's Women's Super League. Advertisement Relegated Crystal Palace were the only side to concede more goals than Tottenham and the club's points tally of 20 was 11 fewer than they recorded in the 2023-24 campaign. "There have been some special moments during Robert's tenure," said women's managing director Andy Rogers. "However, results and performances this season have not been to the level we would expect and now is the right time to make a change." Vilahamn follows senior assistant coach Vicky Jepson, who had already left Spurs to take up a role with the United States women's youth teams. His departure comes two days after Tottenham's men's side sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou, despite winning the Europa League last month.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Son to 'wait and see' on Tottenham future after Saudi links
South Korea's Son Heung-min has been linked with a move away from Premier League side Tottenham (Jung Yeon-je) Son Heung-min has cast doubt on his Tottenham future after saying he will "wait and see" what happens amid speculation the skipper could move to Saudi Arabia. The South Korean forward has a year left on his contract and has been linked with an exit after helping Spurs end their 17-year trophy drought. Advertisement "Rather than saying anything at this moment, I think we should all wait and see what happens," the 32-year-old told reporters after South Korea's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Kuwait on Tuesday. "But no matter where I end up, I will always do the best I can. It will never change." Son lifted the Europa League trophy last month to claim his first piece of silverware with Tottenham after helping his team beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao. Spurs have since fired coach Ange Postecoglou following a dismal Premier League campaign that saw them finish one place above the relegation zone. Advertisement Son came under pressure after a series of underwhelming displays but he vowed to come back stronger next season, wherever he is playing. "I know people may say I had a disappointing year but personally, this was a special season because you play football to win, and only winners are remembered," said Son, who joined Tottenham from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. "I wasn't in my best form for most of the season but hopefully I will be in better condition going into the new season." South Korea booked their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 2-0 win over Iraq last week. Advertisement They finished top of Group B in the Asian third round of qualifiers and were unbeaten in 10 games. "I know people just assume that we should come out of Asia with ease but nothing has been easy," said Son, who came on as a 75th-minute substitute against Kuwait. "I think we were able to finish well here because everyone came together with the same goal of never losing a match." amk/pst
