A list of all of the appearances of this player in football cards in the period 1965/66 to 1979/80 appears at the foot of this page.

1966/67 A&BC Gum,
Footballers, No. 35

1968/69 FKS,
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars, No. 219

1969/70 A&BC Gum,
Footballers (green backs), No. 30

1970/71 FKS,
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars, No. 267

1972/73 A&BC Gum,
Footballers (orange/red backs), No. 175

1972/73 D.C. Thomson,
Victor Super Stars of '72

John Ritchie was born on July 12, 1941 in Kettering. He began his league football career with Kettering before being signed by Stoke City in June 1962. At the time Stoke were in Division 2, but in the 1962/63 season they just edged out Chelsea and Sunderland to top the table and gain promotion back to the First Division, commencing their first stint in the top flight in a decade.

Ritchie gained his regular place in the Stoke attack in October 1963 and never looked back. They finished 17th in the 1963/64 season, 11th in 1964/65, 10th in 1965/66 and 12th in 1966/67. This period included a serious injury which he sustained in 1964 which kept him out of the game for three months.

The 1966/67 A&BC Card notes: "Stoke City centre forward. Previously with Southern Leaguers Kettering Town, Stoke City paid only £2,000 for John, who is one of the deadliest centre forwards in English football. Top of Stoke's scoring list for the past two seasons, he is at his best when given the chance to head homes crosses from either wing."

It was therefore perhaps a surprise that, after just over four years, Stoke let Ritchie go to Sheffield Wednesday on a £70,000 transfer in November 1966. He had scored 64 goals in 110 games with Stoke. The 1968/69 FKS Wonderful World of Soccer Stars album shows Ritchie in his Owls kit and notes: "Tall, well-built leader who joined the club from Stoke City in November 1966. Discovered playing in works football by Kettering Town and moved to Stoke in June 1962."

The 1969/70 A&BC card notes: "Sheffield Wednesday's costliest signing, he cost the club £70,000 when he joined them from Stoke City in November, 1966. A tall, dangerous centre-forward, he started his football career with Kettering Town, and has progressed to the verge of the full England team, after being capped for the Football League".

In 1968 Ritchie broke a leg, causing him to miss most of the season. He stayed with Wednesday for two and a half years, before moving back to Stoke City for a fee of only £25,000 in July 1969. In his time with the Owls he scored 35 goals in 89 league games. Sheffield Wednesday were struggling in the First Division, finishing 11th in Ritchie's first season, 19th in 1967/68 and 15th in 1968/69. In the season following Ritchie's departure they finished bottom of the Division and were relegated. During this time Stoke had themselves flirted with relegation in both 1967/68 (18th) and 1968/69 (19th). After Ritchie's return Stoke managed a creditable 9th place finish in 1969/70.

The D.C. Thomson card given away with the Victor comic noted: "This strong, orthodox centre-forward... returned to Stoke and last season John was his club's top scorer with 16 goals".

At this stage of his career Ritchie seems to have struggled with various injuries. He made 26 league appearances for Stoke in 1970/71, 32 in 1971/72, 29 in 1972/73 and 26 in 1973/74. The Top Sellers, Football 73 card notes "Plagued by a back injury...".

In 1972 Stoke City won the Football League Cup, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the Final. Ritchie played in each of the Round games, scoring in the Third Round clash with Oxford United (in the replay), in the Fourth Round game against Manchester United at Old Trafford, and again in the second replay of this fixture, and in the semi-final second leg. He played in the Final at Wembley on March 4th, 1972.

In September 1974 Ritchie's playing career came to an end after breaking his leg in a Tuesday night game at Portman Road against Ipswich Town. He was not to play for Stoke again, although, interestingly, he was retained on their books until 1977. His last appearance in a football card was the 1976/77 Top Sellers card.

John Ritchie stayed in the Stoke area after his playing career and, sadly, passed away on February 23rd, 2007. Rest in peace.

1969/70 FKS,
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars, No. 220

1970/71 A&BC Gum,
Footballers (orange backs), No. 245

1971/72 FKS,
The Wonderful World of Soccer Stars, No. 267

1972/73 Top Sellers,
Football 73, No. 308

1976/77 Top Sellers,
Football 77, No. 263