Now 55, Richard O'Kelly started his career with Alvechurch before moving into the Football League with Walsall in 1979. He remained at Fellows Park for the next seven years, racking up over 200 appearances with a goal rate of one goal every four games. In July 1986 the cultured striker joined fellow West Midlands and Third Division side Port Vale for a £6,000 fee.
His Vale Park career started with a bang as he scored on his debut in a 2–2 draw at Middlesbrough on 23 August 1986. After playing the next three matches he was struck down with an injury to his knee ligaments, which required an operation the following January. Sidelined for the rest of the 1986–87 season he returned to the first team at the beginning of the 1987–88 season. In January 1988 he returned to Walsall on a free transfer, before moving on to Grimsby Town later in the year.
O'Kelly finished his playing career in 1989 following a bad injury sustained playing for Grimsby in an encounter with Doncaster Rovers.
After finishing his playing career, O'Kelly worked as Port Vale's community officer from August 1990 to May 1991 before returning to Blundell Park as a youth team coach. He left Grimsby for the same position at West Bromwich Albion in 1994. He spent seven years at The Hawthorns as youth team coach, and then six months at Aston Villa, before joining Hereford United in 2002 as assistant manager to Graham Turner.
It is often forgotten that when Richard O'Kelly was appointed as coach at Edgar Street in June 2002 he was working for the Post Office.
Former scout Ron Jukes was instrumental in persuading O'Kelly to join the Bulls.
"I had signed Richard as a player for Walsall from Alvechurch in 1977 and his intelligent approach to the game as a player had carried over into his coaching," said Jukes in his Superscout book.
"He was working for the Post Office after leaving West Bromwich Albion when I approached him and persuaded him to send his CV to Hereford.
"Initially, his position as a coach was combined with that of physiotherapist, and his bubbly personality made an immediate impact on the dressing room."
After he left Hereford he gave an interview to the non-league paper in which he admitted that leaving Hereford was "a really hard decision because the job at Edgar Street isn't quite finished."
After talking about the past season and that decision to send off Andy Tretton in the play-off game, O'Kelly looks forward and says that he doesn't think that with some people leaving Edgar Street it will mean the break-up of the squad. He takes Chester as an example.
"Chester missed out in the play-offs and then won the league the following season. It will be hard for the Bulls but I think they are more than capable of bouncing back next season and going on to win promotion. The core of the team is still there.
"Hereford will always look for hungry players and I would tell anyone who is looking to get back into the Football League that Edgar Street is the place to come, as you will get a chance.
"Graham runs it like a League club. He picks up a lot of players who have been discarded by clubs higher up and lets them use it as a vehicle to get back into the League.
"The players are given an opportunity to play and show what they can do and, if they leave and move on to better things, then Graham will shake them by the hand and wish them all the best.
"Graham wished me all the best when I told him about the move to Bournemouth, even though he swore a few times when I first told him.
"It was nice to know he thought so highly of me and I have left with his full blessing."
Moving to the South Coast side with its higher standard of facilities will be a bit different for O'Kelly from Edgar Street.
"You used to have to fill in the rabbit holes, mark out the pitch and put the nets up every day. I'm sure that helped the team spirit as everyone mucked in and had a laugh about it.
"That great team spirit allied to the ability within the squad is why I'm tipping Hereford to be as strong next year as they were this season.
"I have given Graham a list of names who could replace me, and he has his own ideas too, so it is a case of watch this space.
"But I'm sure that whoever takes over the role will still have a talented, hard working bunch of players at his disposal and I'm sure they will make an impact next year."
Jamie Pitman, who was playing for the Bulls at the time, spoke highly of O'Kelly when he left.
"Richard was probably the biggest loss out of everyone with his whole impact on everything that has been going on at the club.
"He will be a massive loss to us. But again it is another thing for him. There are not many opportunities come around when you are coaching and he deserves it for all the good work he's done with us.
"His whole enthusiasm for coaching and just everything he did helped create a big bond between players and management."
O'Kelly was appointed assistant manager of Bournemouth in the summer of 2004 and two years later followed manager Sean O'Driscoll to Doncaster Rovers. Under the pair's first full season at Rovers the club gained promotion into the Championship after winning the League One play-off final in 2008 against Leeds United. The pair were placed on 'gardening leave' by the club in September 2011, with Rovers sitting bottom of the Championship.
In November 2011 he announced his return to Walsall, coaching for the club on a voluntary basis.
On March 5th 2012 he was appointed manager of Hereford United.
Text at top (next game etc)
Next Game: Scarborough In The League At Edgar Street On Tuesday 19th November At 7.45pm