Richard O'Kelly
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Florence O'Kelly | ||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | West Bromwich, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Alvechurch | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1986 | Walsall | 204 | (56) |
| 1986–1988 | Port Vale | 28 | (4) |
| 1988 | Walsall | 12 | (1) |
| 1988–1989 | Grimsby Town | 39 | (10) |
| Total | 283 | (71) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2012 | Hereford United | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Richard Florence O'Kelly (born 8 January 1957) is an English former footballer turned manager; who is Dean Smith's assistant manager at Championship side Brentford.
He began his career at Walsall in 1979, as they won promotion into the Third Division in 1979–80, where they remained for his next six seasons at Fellows Park, during which time he scored 56 goals in 204 league games. He was sold on to Port Vale for a £6,000 fee in July 1986, before returning to Walsall on a free transfer January 1988. Helping the "Saddlers" to win promotion via the play-offs, he moved on to Grimsby Town, before retiring due to injury the following year.
After retiring due to injury in 1989 he took up coaching and has served as the assistant manager at Hereford United, Bournemouth, and Doncaster Rovers. He became a manager for the first time with Hereford United in March 2012, but quit the post two months later after the "Bulls" were relegated out of the Football League. He immediately returned to the number two role at former club Walsall, before following manager Dean Smith to Brentford in November 2015.
O'Kelly started his career with Alvechurch before moving into the Football League with Walsall in 1979, after being signed by manager Alan Buckley. The "Saddlers" were promoted into the Third Division as Fourth Division as runners-up in 1979–80, two points behind champions Huddersfield Town. Walsall retained their third tier status in 1980–81 by finishing one place and one point above the drop zone. They came even closer to relegation in 1981–82, finishing ahead of relegated Wimbledon on goal difference. They then improved, finishing tenth in 1982–83, before finishing sixth in 1983–84, eight points behind promoted Sheffield United. However Walsall dropped to eleventh in 1984–85, and O'Kelly was the club's top scorer with eighteen goals. They finished sixth in 1985–86, nine points behind promoted Derby County. In his seven years at Fellows Park he racked up over 200 appearances, with a goal rate of one goal every four games.
...
Wikipedia