The truth behind Micah Richards’ viral North Shields photo

By Liam Rafferty

Premier League-winning right-back Micah Richards caused a stir when he was spotted at North Shields’ FA Vase clash against West Didsbury & Chorlton.

The Robins claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory, but it was Richards’ unexpected appearance that became the main talking point.

The former Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Fiorentina defender went viral after a photo surfaced of him alongside North Shields’ goalscorer Lee Mason.

The moment quickly spread online, sparking curiosity about why the Sky Sports, BBC Sport, and CBS pundit was at the match.

Misunderstanding

Richards addressed the incident on his podcast, The Rest Is Football, which he co-hosts alongside Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker. 

He explained that his visit to the game was a mix of support and an amusing misunderstanding.

“I’m friends with West Didsbury manager Paul Marshall, so I went to watch his team play,” Richards said. 

However, the story took an unexpected twist when Richards mistakenly ended up at South Shields instead of North Shields.

That same day, South Shields were set to play Oxford City in the National League North, but the match was cancelled due to a frozen pitch.

Richards admitted he was unaware there were two separate clubs named Shields.

“I thought there was only one Shields,” he said. 

“So I typed in South Shields, drove up, and got out of the car with 45 minutes to spare – nice and early.”

Richards recalled being confused when fans mentioned the game had been called off. 

“A fan said the team stayed overnight.

“I thought, does West Didsbury have the budget to stay overnight?

“Then someone said Oxford decided not to play, and I was thinking, ‘Oxford?’”

Eventually, he realised his mix-up and made the 35-minute drive to North Shields, where he watched the game and inadvertently became part of the story himself.

To add to his embarrassment, Marshall’s side tasted defeat and an amused Shearer replied: “Serves you right for not telling me you were coming up to my area!”