{{short description|English footballer (born 1970)}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Richard Forsyth | image = | fullname = Richard Michael Forsyth<ref name="Hugman">{{Hugman|accessdate=14 November 2019}}</ref> | height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}<ref name="NotW9697">{{cite book |editor-last=Sewell |editor-first=Albert |title=News of the World Football Annual 1996–97 |publisher=Invincible Press |location=London |date=1996 |page=401 |isbn=978-0-00-218737-4}}</ref> | position = Midfielder | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|3|df=y}}<ref name="Hugman"/> | birth_place = Dudley, England | death_date = | currentclub = | years1 = 198?–1987 | clubs1 = Stourbridge | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1987–1995 | clubs2 = Kidderminster Harriers | 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 | clubs6 = Peterborough United | 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 | clubs9 = Northwich Victoria | 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/richardforsyth.html |title=Richard Forsyth |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref>
==Playing career== Forsyth was born in Dudley, Staffordshire (now West Midlands).<ref name=Soccerbase>{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=2614 |title=Richard Forsyth |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |access-date=5 February 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.harriers-online.co.uk/squad/forsyth.shtml |title=Richard Forsyth |work=Harriers-Online |accessdate=5 February 2009}}</ref> He was part of the team which won the Conference title in 1993–94,<ref name=NLD>{{cite web |url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/teams/guidetoground.php?mode=playershow&pid=17517&team_id=13&league_id=1 |title=Northwich Victoria Player profile Richard Forsyth |work=NonLeague Daily |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906082847/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/teams/guidetoground.php?mode=playershow&pid=17517&team_id=13&league_id=1 |archivedate=6 September 2012}}</ref> and was the club's leading league scorer for the 1994–95 season with 13 goals,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kidderminsterharriers.com/harriers/archive/topscorers.php |title=Kidderminster Harriers Leading Scorers |work=KidderminsterHarriers.com |accessdate=5 February 2009}}</ref> before moving to Birmingham City for a fee of £100,000.<ref name=NLD/>
A year later he moved on to Stoke City for a £200,000 fee,<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/peterborough_united/831999.stm |title=Posh sign midfielder Forsyth |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 July 2000 |access-date=6 February 2009}}</ref> where he scored the first League goal in Stoke's new Britannia Stadium,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Records/0,,10310~401936,00.html |title=Club records |publisher=Stoke City F.C. |date=26 October 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231221658/http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Records/0,,10310~401936,00.html |archivedate=31 December 2008}}</ref> went on to spend three seasons with the club playing more than 100 games in all competitions.<ref name=Soccerbase/> 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.<ref name=BBC/> In October 2002, amid financial uncertainty at Peterborough, Forsyth joined Cheltenham Town on a month's loan;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11744_2247331,00.html |title=Forsyth joins Robins on loan |first=Simon |last=Fudge |publisher=Sky Sports |date=10 October 2002 |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theposh.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10427~299153,00.html |title=Forsyth joins Cheltenham for five figure fee |publisher=Peterborough United F.C. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219163137/http://www.theposh.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10427~299153,00.html |archivedate=19 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctfc.com/page/PastSeasons/0,,10434~399146,00.html |title=Season 2002–2003 |publisher=Cheltenham Town F.C. |date=29 August 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630030702/http://www.ctfc.com/page/PastSeasons/0,,10434~399146,00.html |archivedate=30 June 2012}}</ref> In January 2003 he sustained a hamstring injury which put paid to the remainder of his season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10434~328653,00.html |title=Forsyth joins injured list |publisher=Cheltenham Town F.C. |date=15 January 2003 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212130132/http://www.ctfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10434~328653,00.html |archivedate=12 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11744_2261623,00.html |title=Forsyth facing season out |first=Simon |last=Fudge |publisher=Sky Sports |date=27 March 2003 |accessdate=6 February 2009}}</ref> Released at the end of the 2003–2004 season, Forsyth joined Northwich Victoria on non-contract terms,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10434~548984,00.html |title=Richard Forsyth |publisher=Cheltenham Town F.C. |first=Martin |last=Sullivan |date=6 August 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212130152/http://www.ctfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10434~548984,00.html |archivedate=12 February 2012}}</ref> but within weeks he suffered cruciate ligament damage which would keep him out for the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=152324&league=ENG.5&cc=5739 |title=Aldershot Town 2–1 Northwich Victoria |publisher=ESPNsoccernet |date=3 September 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014124640/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=152324&league=ENG.5&cc=5739 |archivedate=14 October 2012}}</ref>
He has since played for Stoke City's Masters team,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BritanniaStadium/0,,10310~1096057,00.html |title=Brit-10-Years: Where Are They Now? |publisher=Stoke City F.C. |date=10 September 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513045329/http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/BritanniaStadium/0,,10310~1096057,00.html |archivedate=13 May 2008}}</ref> and for Wolverhampton Casuals<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wolverhamptoncasualsfc.co.uk/club/34572/SeasonArchive/match_report/278769?archive_id=4067 |title=Match Report |publisher=Wolverhampton Casuals F.C. |date=26 October 2006 |accessdate=21 July 2015}}</ref> and Shawbury United<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/archive/2007/03/07/News+stourb_sport_news%286290%29/1243058.Martin_to_move_/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721155204/http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/archive/2007/03/07/News+stourb_sport_news(6290)/1243058.Martin_to_move_/ |url-status=dead |archivedate=21 July 2011 |title=Martin to move? |work=Stourbridge News |date=7 March 2007 |accessdate=9 January 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Cheltenham-Town-Richard-Forsyth/story-14198437-detail/story.html |title=Cheltenham Town where are they now: Richard Forsyth |newspaper=Gloucestershire Echo |date=21 December 2011 |accessdate=21 July 2015}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{ENFA}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other{{ref label|Other|A|}} !colspan="2"|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 |- |rowspan="4"|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 |- !colspan="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 |- |rowspan="4"|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 |- !colspan="2"|Total !70!!2!!9!!1!!4!!1!!2!!0!!85!!4 |- |rowspan="3"|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 |- !colspan="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 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !246!!25!!22!!1!!20!!2!!11!!1!!299!!29 |}
{{refbegin}} :A. {{note|Other}} The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Italian Cup, Football League Trophy. {{refend}}
==Honours== ;Kidderminster Harriers *Conference National champions: 1994
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerbase}} * {{NeilBrownPlayers|player1/richardforsyth}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forsyth, Richard}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Dudley Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Stourbridge F.C. players Category:Kidderminster Harriers F.C. players Category:Birmingham City F.C. players Category:Stoke City F.C. players Category:Blackpool F.C. players Category:Peterborough United F.C. players Category:Cheltenham Town F.C. players Category:Northwich Victoria F.C. players Category:Wolverhampton Casuals F.C. players Category:Shawbury United F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players