Richard Landon Testimonial Saturday 2 August 2014 ( 3pm)

After a recent meeting of the Supporters Cooperative Board, Board member John Gaskin went to EP to see how the Working Party painting had gone on,but when there he noticed lights on and window open in the changing rooms so he popped in and found Richard inside  ironing club crests onto tee shirts for the club shop, and all this was going on at nearly 10-30 at night.
Perhaps you are tempted to think this is an untypical event, but it is so not, and so...so very typical of Richard Landon!

Richard Landon is seen as a fixture in the County set up – not in any negative or put-down way, but as someone who is always there to make a real contribution, quietly, modestly and with commitment - and he’s been doing it under thirteen managers.

It’s not unknown in football for the kit man to be overworked and under appreciated, invisible most of the time except as the butt of dressing room jokes.  Yet, Richard’s name is always mentioned with respect and appreciation for what he brings to the Club and the team: something over and above what is usually expected - even taking over team affairs for a while after the club went into administration.

In most clubs backroom jobs are exactly that: backroom means background. There can’t be many places where the supporters take the backroom staff to their hearts the way County fans do. We all know about a certain Mr Wylde and how he relates to the supporters. In a less flamboyant way (notice the polite choice of words) Richard’s bond with the fans is of a similar quality.

Even though his opportunities as a player were limited he is remembered by some for his knack of scoring after coming on as a late substitute. The most famous occasion took place ten years and a few weeks ago. The venue was Urumqi, which claims to be the furthest city in the world from an ocean, located as it is, in one of China’s most remote regions, Xinjiang, between the Taklamaken Desert and the Mountains of Heaven.

 

That` Ive scored the winning goal look'

This was the scene for Richard’s most epic appearance, when, having taken to the field as a substitute near the end of the game he hit County’s last minute winner - and that was as the kit man!

Stockport County Supporters’ Co-op would like to record its thanks and appreciation to Richard for his tremendous contribution to County over the years. The Co-op believes that football clubs should be run in a way that shows that they value their supporters, and judging by the way Richard has always conducted himself, he seems to agree. 
Richard`s Testimonial Match is at Edgeley Park this Saturday kick off 3pm.
The game is County v Macclesfield Town , so there will be no shortage of needle.
Will you be there? I hope so, because Lando deserves a really big turn out, and its only a tenner( £5 concessions)

Mike Davies
www.countysupporterscoop.co.uk