Date of Birth : 16th April 1988

Place of Birth : Boston, Lincolnshire

Website : www.dennis-racing.co.uk

Richie was nearly lost to the sport but a change of heart will see him become a squad member with the Saints. His decision will be a relief to many Scunthorpe fans because his all-action style has certainly made him very popular. Along with Byron Bekker and Benji Compton this will be Richie’s fourth season with the club and he starts the season just 19 points short of being the fourth rider to reach one thousand for the club.

Richie started out as a 15-year old with the Peterborough Pumas side in 2003 along with some second-half appearances for the Scorpions’ team that raced in Hull that season. The following year he switched to his hometown club, Boston, but a serious hand injury, which required a skin graft, ended his season prematurely. That winter Richie was a regular visitor to the Scunthorpe Raceway before signing for the Scorpions. He immediately took to his new home track, was the first Scorpion to register a maximum, and had a home average of nearly eleven by the end of the season.

2006 saw Richie take over the club captaincy from Wayne Carter when the veteran was injured half way through the season. Despite being just 18-years old he was a fine leader of the young team and he led the side until injury ended last season prematurely. Richie finished 9th in the 2006 British Under-21 Final and also gained Premier League experience by taking guest rides in the Premier League, primarily for Workington. Whilst his form wasn’t quite as impressive in 2007 he was still a consistent scorer both home and away, including a maximum at Plymouth in the Conference Trophy Final, and was a very strong candidate for a Scorpions’ Premier League berth until he decided to take a break from the sport.