Dick Yates

Dick Yates
Personal information
Full name	Richard Yates
Date of birth	6 June 1921
Place of birth	Queensferry, Flintshire, Wales
Date of death	1976 (aged 54–55)
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Centre-forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1946–1947	Chester
1947–1948	Wrexham
1948–1949	Carlisle United
1949–1951	New Brighton
	South Liverpool
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Richard Yates (6 June 1921 – 1976) was a Welsh footballer who spent six years immediately after World War II playing centre-forward in the Football League for Chester, Wrexham, Carlisle United, and New Brighton.

Career

Yates played as a guest for Wrexham, Reading, Charlton Athletic and Port Vale during World War II.^[1] After the war he signed with Frank Brown's Chester, and with 36 goals in the 1946–47 season he set a club record that was never equalled. Despite his efforts, the "Seals" could only finish third in the Third Division North and were not promoted. He left Sealand Road in the 1947–48 season and scored 18 goals in 31 league games for Wrexham, who also finished third in the Third Division North. He scored hat-tricks against Halifax Town in the league and against Penrhyn Quarry in the Welsh Cup.^[3] He departed the Racecourse Ground, and switched to league rivals Carlisle United. He scored nine goals in 16 league games in the 1948–49 campaign for Ivor Broadis's "Cumbrians" in what was a brief stay at Brunton Park. He moved on to New Brighton for the 1949–50 season before leaving the club after they failed to gain re-election in 1950–51. Despite boasting a goal ratio of one goal for every two games, he never found another club in the Football League. Instead, he ended his career with South Liverpool.

Source:^[4]

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chester	1945–46		0	0	2	0	2	0
	1946–47	Third Division North	40	36	3	1	43	37
	1947–48	Third Division North	12	1	1	2	13	3
	Total		52	37	6	3	56	40
Wrexham	1947–48	Third Division North	21	13	0	0	21	13
	1948–49	Third Division North	10	5	0	0	10	5
	Total		31	18	0	0	31	18
Carlisle United	1948–49	Third Division North	16	9	1	0	17	9
New Brighton	1949–50	Third Division North	38	13	1	0	39	13
	1950–51	Third Division North	5	1	0	0	5	1
	Total		43	14	1	0	44	14

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 319. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
^ "Dick Yates | Player Statistics | Wrexham (Wrexham AFC Archive)". www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
^ "Hat-trick Heroes | Wrexham (Wrexham AFC Archive)". www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
^ Dick Yates at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)