It's Good to talk .... Just ask Nick? - Bury Times Fri, 25 Aug 1995:
A CHANCE phone call to a former teammate sparked a dream move from a nightmare situation for the Shakers' summer signing from Cardiff City, Nick Richardson. Last season the 28-year-old midfielder. who a transfer tribunal valued at £22.500 last week, travelled an exhausting 40,000 miles from his Halifax home to Ninian Park and understandably didn't want a repeat dose this term. "Though I still lived in Halifax, I turned out in every game I was available to play at Cardiff last year, as well as spending loan spells at Chester and Wrexham - it was a bit tough," explained Richardson. "I decided I couldn't go through that again, so I gave the club notice that I was going on trial with clubs in the north, that's when I contacted Phil Stant". "Phil said he'd ask Mike Walsh if 1 could train at Bury. the manager said no problem, and about a week later they said they'd like to sign me." A late starter in league football, Richardson was 21-years-old when Billy Ayre, the then Halifax Town manager, plucked him from non-league obscurity with Emily in November 1988. In the following three seasons he established himself as a versatile mid-fielder with an eye for goals, scoring 21 in just over 100 league and cup games for the Shaymen. In August 1992 Cardiff paid £35,000 for his services and the year that followed was the most successful of his career. "That was a great season. we were in 11th place at Christmas then Kevin Ratcliffe came in at centre-half and we put a run of eleven consecutive wins together to eventually win the Fourth Division championship and Welsh Cup double," he added. That was also the season when he teamed up with Phil Stant for the first time. "Carl Dale and Chris Pike were banging in the goals for us then Dale got injured. Manager Eddie May wasted no time and made a great move by bringing in Phil for £100,000 and he just took over where Dale left off." Richardson, who spent the last twelve months at Ninian Park on a week-to-week contract, almost joined last Saturday's opponents Chester City after a loan spell there last winter. A move to the Deva was definitely on the cards until manager Mike Pejic was sacked two days before he was due to put pen to paper. Nevertheless, the chance to wear the white shirt of Bury obviously suits the midfielder to a tee, and he's looking forward to winning a second championship medal from the basement division. "I'm very settled here as I only live half-an-hour away from Bury which is great after all last year's travelling, and, from what I have seen of the club I'm sure we shall do well," he predicted. "Bury's disciplined style of play has been successful in the past and will be again this season, although I have a theory that this hot weather doesn't suit us. "Once it cools down, and it will, you'll see us power ahead. We picked up our first point on Saturday and now we must build on that." Richardson's ability to score from midfield could be crucial to the Shakers' promotion hopes. "I never set myself targets but seem to get around the ten goal mark for a season, I'm just looking forward to getting on the scoresheet for Bury at the earliest opportunity." he concluded. The player's valuation is almost the same Bury paid to Chester for David Pugh and if his strike rate and consistency of performance are anywhere near that of the Shakers' skipper, then the Yorkshireman will have proved to be one of Mike Walsh's shrewder buys.