Richardson re-signs for Notts

Billy dearden finally revealed that, after months of negotiations, long serving Notts defender Ian Richardson had finally agreed a one year deal with the club.

It was feared that the former Birmingham player was set to leave on a Bosman free-transfer, with his contract officially expiring at the start of the month.

Notts and Richo have agreed terms verballly and the veteran is expected to sign on the doted line next week.

Richardson did not go on the Cornwall tour and Dearden says that he hopes the deal will be sorted very soon as he told the Nottingham evening Post: "We have verbally agreed a deal with Ian and anticipate that he will put pen to paper before the end of the week," he said.

"It has taken some time to get sorted, but we have always wanted him to stay with the club.

"And we have to be pleased that we have managed to agree a new contract with him.

"Now it is just a case of sorting out the final few details and hopefully everything will be tied up before the weekend.

"That is certainly what we are hoping for anyway, I am hoping there will not be any last minute hitches."

Albert Scardino also stated that he hopes the deal will be sorted out soon without any hitches.

"I know everything has been agreed, now it is just a question of waiting for everything to be signed," he said.

"It has been a long road, but we are delighted that we have finally managed to get something agreed.

"At no stage did we want Ian to leave the club and have been trying to arrange something since January, hopefully we are now in the final stages of securing his place at the club."

Richardson regrets not signing a deal earlier.


"I was offered a contract just before Christmas, which I turned down.

"Then I was offered another deal, for less money a little while later, which I also didn't sign.

"And now, the contract I have signed is for even less money.

"But I think you have to accept that this is the way things are in football at the moment, looking back things might have been different. But you couldn't have predicted the way things have changed.

"Most of the players who were out of contract over the summer had to accept pay cuts, because everyone is cutting back.

"In the end you are just grateful that you have a new contract at all, because there will be a lot of people who haven't.

"There will be loads of footballers who find themselves without a club over the next few weeks, I am just grateful that I won't be one of them."

There was recent speculation that Richardson was looking to find a new club.  Even near by rivals Nottingham Forest were mentioned.

"I wish you would tell me which clubs they were!," he joked. "No, I did speak to a couple of other clubs, but that was as far as it went, there was nothing serious because it was never something that interested me.

"People kept telling me which clubs were supposedly after me, but it was all speculation. I never wanted to leave Notts and I still don't.

"The contract is only for a year, because that is all the club's administrators would allow, but I do not want this to be the last year of my stay with the club.

"I still think I have four or five years of football in me left yet, I really do.

"And, ideally I would like to be here long enough to earn a testimonial with Notts if I can.

"On top of that I am hoping to complete my coaching badge, which I have the first part of already, so maybe I could stay on in some capacity afterwards too, who knows?"

Richo also hinted that a longer term deal could be on the cards, when the Magpies sort their financial difficulties.

I am certianly settled in Nottingham, my wife likes it here and my kids are in a good school," he said.

"Perhaps when the club's financial situation settles down, we can sit down and talk about something longer than the one-year deal I have signed whether that be in the next few months or at the end of the coming season. But I certainly don't want to leave."

So Richo returns. Are you happy? Sad? Angry? share your thoughts with other Notts fans by clicking HERE