Signed from: West Midlands Police
Brakes debut: 24/08/04 v Nuneaton Griff (H) - Midland Combination Premier Division - scored 2 in a 6-1 win
Second spell: 22/08/07 v Stourport Swifts (H) - British Gas Football League Midland Division - scored in a 5-1 win
Appearances: 105
Goals: 63
2004/2005: 41 starts 5 sub appearances, 38 goals
2005/2006: 42 starts, 2 sub, 22 goals
2007/2008: 8 starts, 7 sub, 3 goals
Ask any Brakes fans about strikers since the renaissance back in 2000, and the name Richard Adams is sure to crop up. Signed by Jason Cadden from West Midlands Police in the summer of 2004 on the reccomendation of former Police manager Jim Scott, who was one of our directors at the time, Richard tore Midland Combination defences to pieces as Brakes finally took the title after three seasons of trying, scoring 38 times. He made his debut in the opening home fixture of the season against Nuneaton Griff, coming on as a substitute with 24 minutes to play, and scored twice, starting as he meant to go on.
Richard scored some spectacular goals that season but the one he will be best remembered for by Leamington fans is our consolation strike at Colchester in the FA Cup 1st Round tie at Layer Road. 7 goals down we may have been, but the fans just wanted a goal to celebrate and boy did Richard give us one. Even the Colchester fans were celebrating it!
Sadly we lost Richard to then Conference North side Redditch United in February 2006. Nearly 60 goals in less than two seasons was never going to go unnoticed.
Richard spent some time on loan at Romulus, who were big rivals of Brakes during the Midland Comb and Alliance days, and found himself in the strange position of facing his old side in an MFA fixture in December 2006. He scored, but refused to celebrate. It all ended well for Leamington however, as his brother Jon scored the winner in a 4-3 success.
Richard returned to Leamington the following summer as we prepared for our first season back in the Southern League for 20 years. He scored on his second debut, as he had in his first, but after finding his opportunities limited, he left the club for a second time during the 2007/08 season.
Having played such a big part in our success during his time at the club, Richard Adams will always be up there with the best Brakes players since the millenium. He will certainly always be a hero to the group of Brakes fans he travelled down to Merthyr Tydfil with on FA Cup Final day 2006 as we took part in a 6 a side tournament. Rich was our 'ringer'! We were rumbled when his goal was shown in the highlights before the final!
See Richard Adams' goal at Colchester here