At 34-years old, Ian Richardson has seen many a change in his time here. Since being signed by the Colin Murphy for a now unthinkable £175,000 transfer fee – a fee which Richardson has more than repaid in sterling performances and his touching loyalty to the club.
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On his appointment, Ian ‘The Gaffa’ Richardson had this to say to the club’s Official site: "It has been a whirlwind 24 hours for me, but I’m really excited about the job. It’s a great opportunity for myself, and I believe that with the players that we have within the squad that we can turn it around."
"I would never have thought this nine years ago when I first walked through the door. Back then I was thinking about going back down south."
"That is not the case now. Nottingham is my home now and I intend to stay here."
And so, albeit temporarily, Richardson takes the sip from the poisoned chalice that has seen four managers arrive only to fall by the wayside after signing on.
However, the sight of seeing the stalwart defender-cum-referee trading his remaining playing days for an undeniably becoming Sir Bobby Robson like drenchcoats will be every bit an unwelcome sight as the illustrious – yet thankfully unlikely – return of Gary Brazil.
"Obviously I want to keep playing for as long as I can and the refereeing will have to take a back seat for now."
"Football is the number one priority for me, but if results go my way and we get a few wins perhaps I will be offered the job permanently!" he added in Mills-esque raw-enthusiasm mode.
Could this possibly be the beginning of a new career role for Richo? Two-words, plenty of syllables: Andy Hessenthaler. Maybe not.