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John Ritchie made his professional debut with Stoke City Football Club in 1963. In his first full season as a professional Ritchie scored 30 goals and hit 81 goals in 135 appearances. Ritchie was sold to Sheffield Wednesday in 1966 but returned to Stoke City in 1969. He continued to be a prolific goal scorer for Stoke City and helped them win their first major trophy, the 1972 Football League Cup, and reach two FA Cup semi-finals. He remained at Stoke until September 1974 when a broken leg ended his career. He had scored 176 goals for Stoke in 347 matches making him Stoke's record goal scorer The bust is slightly smaller than life size. There is also a smaller statue of Ritchie in his football kit running with his hands in the air, as he did when celebrating scoring a goal.

Title

John Ritchie (1941–2007)

Date

2007

Medium

bronze

Measurements

H 71 x W 53 x D 43 cm;
Plinth: H 117 x W (?) x D (?) cm (E)

Accession number

ST4_PG_S001

Acquisition method

commissioned by SCOBA and funded through them with contributions from supporters, the Ritchie family and Stoke City Football Club

Work type

Bust

Owner

Stoke City Football Club

Custodian

Stoke City Football Club

Work status

extant

Unveiling date

2007

Access

at all times

Inscription description

inscription on the plaque on the plinth: John Ritchie (12th July 1941 - 23rd February 2007) / John Henry Ritchie was born on 12th July 1941 in Kettering where he began his footballing life playing for his home club of Kettering Town. On the enthusiastic recommendation of a talent scout, he was signed by Tony Waddington for Stoke City, moving up to Staffordshire from Northamptonshire in May 1962. His wife Shirley remembers crying all the way but they were to settle happily here in The Potteries. In April 1963, he made his professional debut alongside Sir Stanley Matthews. / In his first season, Stoke were promoted from the Second Division to the top tier of English football. Playing in the First Division was a challenge John rose to superbly, ending that season with 30 goals. His brave performances elevated him to cult status and he would go on to score a remarkable number of goals in the following three seasons. Despite scoring 30 goals in 47 appearances in his third season at the club, he was sold for £70,000 in 1966 to Sheffield Wednesday where he made 89 appearances and scored 34 goals. / After three seasons, fans rejoiced to see John rejoin his beloved Stoke City in the Summer of 1969 for the fee of £25,000. He repaid the fans' adulation with more goals and heroic displays, leading the attack for the following six campaigns, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals twice and winning the League Cup trophy in 1972. John's career was cut short in 1974 with a double fracture of his leg. He scored an incredible 176 goals in 347 appearances for Stoke. He is Stoke City's top marksman of all time and lives on in our hearts of as one of Staffordshire's greatest sporting heroes.

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