John Ridley (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Ridley | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Consett, England | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Port Vale | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1978 | Port Vale | 156 | (3) |
| 1978 | → Fort Lauderdale Strikers (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 1978–1979 | Leicester City | 24 | (0) |
| 1979–1982 | Chesterfield | 124 | (8) |
| 1982–1985 | Port Vale | 114 | (5) |
| Stafford Rangers | |||
| Total | 440+ | (17+) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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John Ridley (born 27 April 1952) is an English former footballer. A versatile midfielder, he had a twelve-year professional career in the Football League, playing for Port Vale and Chesterfield, as well as Leicester City. He also played for non-league Stafford Rangers and for American side Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
He was voted Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year in 1975–76, won the Anglo-Scottish Cup with Chesterfield in 1981, and helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1982–83. Qualifying as a teacher before he began his football career, once he retired he returned to the education profession.
As a young man, Ridley played for Sheffield University and other English Universities, as he earned his degree and qualified as a teacher. This achieved, he then signed professional forms with Port Vale in July 1973, having previously been at the club on youth terms. He came through to the professional ranks at the same time as David Harris, who would also become a key player for the "Valiants". Ridley played ten Third Division games in 1973–74. He scored his first goal in senior football in a 3–1 win over Charlton Athletic on 27 April 1974.
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