Richard Walden died on November 17th after a long battle with leukaemia.
Richard was a ‘local boy’ who would regularly watch the Shots before signing for them on schoolboy terms in the early ‘60s. He made his first team debut against Oxford Utd in 1965, aged just 16.
And I guess for the many supporters ‘young enough’ to remember the last 50 years, the greatest player to appear in an Aldershot shirt would be Jack Howarth, but ‘the best ever’ player?….Richard Walden.
Richard Walden pictured next to Jack Howarth, on the beach at Southport before the FA Cup 3rd round match with Liverpool in 1971.
Somerton Park, Newport was home to Newport County for 77 years….and then in February 1989 the club went ‘bust’.
The eccentric old ground had seen many highs and lows, the most notable being the Welsh Cup and Fourth Division promotion triumph in 1980, the European Cup Winners Cup quarter-final appearance in 1981….and of course not forgetting the greyhound racing, speedway and Aldershot’s brilliant 4v3 victory on December 27th 1969.
Newport County came back to life in 1989 playing in ‘exile’ until 1994. And Somerton Park hosted it’s last game in 1993 before it was finally covered by a housing estate.
Richard Walden scored for Aldershot in the 4v3 win over the County in 1969, played for Newport in the Cup Winners Cup campaign…..and he took part in the final match to staged at Somerton Park on June 22nd 1993.
Undoubtedly he was the best ever Shots player, and at the age of 45 Richard was still head and shoulders above the many ‘past and present’ Welsh Internationals who played in that last Somerton Park game.
Richard was a beautiful footballer who made nearly 450 appearances for the Shots, 100 for Sheffield Wednesday and approaching 200 for Newport County.
But above all…..he was a charming and genuine man.
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