| Richard Forsyth | |
| Fullname: | Richard Michael Forsyth |
| Height: | [1] |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Birth Date: | 3 October 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Dudley, England |
| Years1: | 198?–1987 |
| Clubs1: | Stourbridge |
| Years2: | 1987–1995 |
| Caps2: | 303 |
| Goals2: | 71 |
| Years3: | 1995–1996 |
| Clubs3: | Birmingham City |
| Caps3: | 26 |
| Goals3: | 2 |
| Years4: | 1996–1999 |
| Clubs4: | Stoke City |
| Caps4: | 95 |
| Goals4: | 17 |
| Years5: | 1999–2000 |
| Clubs5: | Blackpool |
| Caps5: | 13 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2000–2002 |
| Caps6: | 70 |
| Goals6: | 2 |
| Years7: | 2002 |
| Clubs7: | → Cheltenham Town (loan) |
| Caps7: | 5 |
| Goals7: | 1 |
| Years8: | 2002–2004 |
| Clubs8: | Cheltenham Town |
| Caps8: | 34 |
| Goals8: | 3 |
| Years9: | 2004 |
| Caps9: | 3 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Years10: | 2006 |
| Clubs10: | Wolverhampton Casuals |
| Years11: | 2007 |
| Clubs11: | Shawbury United |
Richard Michael Forsyth (born 3 October 1970) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He made nearly 250 appearances in the Football League playing for Birmingham City, Stoke City, Blackpool, Peterborough United and Cheltenham Town.[2]
Forsyth was born in Dudley, Staffordshire (now West Midlands).[3] He began his football career with Stourbridge before joining Kidderminster Harriers in 1987. In eight years with the club he played more than 300 games in all competitions, scoring 71 goals.[4] He was part of the team which won the Conference title in 1993–94,[5] and was the club's leading league scorer for the 1994–95 season with 13 goals,[6] before moving to Birmingham City for a fee of £100,000.[5]
A year later he moved on to Stoke City for a £200,000 fee,[7] where he scored the first League goal in Stoke's new Britannia Stadium,[8] went on to spend three seasons with the club playing more than 100 games in all competitions.[3] His next move was to Blackpool on a free transfer in 1999, and then to Peterborough United, also on a free, where he linked up again with former Birmingham manager Barry Fry.[7] In October 2002, amid financial uncertainty at Peterborough, Forsyth joined Cheltenham Town on a month's loan;[9] on his return to Peterborough, the club expected him to remain with them, but, claiming the player had been "unsettled" by Cheltenham's offer of a longer permanent contract, finally allowed him to join Cheltenham for a fee of £15,000.[10] [11] In January 2003 he sustained a hamstring injury which put paid to the remainder of his season.[12] [13] Released at the end of the 2003–2004 season, Forsyth joined Northwich Victoria on non-contract terms,[14] but within weeks he suffered cruciate ligament damage which would keep him out for the season.[15]
He has since played for Stoke City's Masters team,[16] and for Wolverhampton Casuals[17] and Shawbury United[18] of the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division.
After his career in football, he taught physical education at North East Wolverhampton Academy and Ormiston Forge Academy.[19]
Source:
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Birmingham City | 1995–96 | First Division | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| Stoke City | 1996–97 | First Division | 40 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 8 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 37 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 8 | ||
| 1998–99 | Second Division | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Total | 95 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 108 | 18 | |||
| Blackpool | 1999–2000 | Second Division | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Peterborough United | 2000–01 | Second Division | 30 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 3 | |
| 2001–02 | Second Division | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2002–03 | Second Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 70 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 85 | 4 | |||
| Cheltenham Town | 2002–03 | Second Division | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | Third Division | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 | ||
| Total | 39 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 46 | 5 | |||
| Northwich Victoria | 2004–05 | Football Conference | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Career total | 246 | 25 | 22 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 299 | 29 | |||
A. The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Italian Cup, Football League Trophy.