| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Ridley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Consett, England[2] | ||
| Date of death | 3 May 2020 (aged 68) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender; midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Port Vale | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1973–1978 | Port Vale | 156 | (3) |
| 1978 | → Fort Lauderdale Strikers (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 1978–1979 | Leicester City | 24 | (0) |
| 1979–1982 | Chesterfield | 124 | (8) |
| 1982–1985 | Port Vale | 114 | (5) |
| 1985–19?? | Stafford Rangers | ||
| 19??–19?? | Matlock Town | ||
| 19??–19?? | Newcastle Town | ||
| 19??–19?? | Eastwood Hanley | ||
| 19??–19?? | Silverdale Athletic | ||
| 19??–1992 | Rists United | ||
| Total | 440+ | (17+) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Ridley (27 April 1952 – 3 May 2020) was an English footballer. A versatile player able to play as a defender or midfielder, he had a twelve-year professional career in the English Football League, playing for Port Vale and Chesterfield, as well as Leicester City. He also played for non-League Stafford Rangers and the American side Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
He was voted Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year in 1975–76, won the Anglo-Scottish Cup with Chesterfield in 1981, and helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1982–83. Qualifying as a teacher before he began his football career, he returned to the education profession once he retired.