Exeter-born Richard Pears featured in around sixty league games for Exeter City in the mid-1990s having come through the youth ranks. He later had a long career playing and managing in local non-league football. 

Signing associate schoolboy forms in December 1990, Richard joined Exeter City as a trainee in 1992 and signed his first professional deal in July 1994 having already made his league debut as a substitute against Hull City on 1 January 1994 during the club’s final season in the third-tier. Towards the end of the same season he had also recorded his first league goal against Burnley on 7 May 1994.

Playing more often, Richard added another goal against Scarborough in March 1995 before scoring five league goals during 1995/96. Then, after a run of games early the next season, he scored his 8th (and final) league goal for City against Doncaster Rovers in August 1996 before playing just one more game for the club beyond the middle of the following month. 

After a bright start that suggested promise, Richard left St James’ Park in May 1997 following two years as a trainee and three seasons as professional. Briefly joining Torquay United, but not making a first-team appearance, he moved on to Cullompton Rangers and - at a relatively young age - soon became player-manager of Heavitree United. This was to set the scene for a succession of later moves from playing into management and back to playing. For now, continuing solely as a player, Richard turned out for Clyst Rovers before signing for Tiverton Town with whom he was to win the FA Vase in 1999 and where he remained for the longest run of his career ahead of signing for Mangotsfield United in January 2004. 

After a few months of travelling up to Bristol,  Richard joined Exmouth Town as player-assistant manager but later left to play for Willand Rovers before a return to Tiverton Town, another spell at Willand and a further taste of management at Exmouth Town. He then became joint-manager of Cullompton Rangers ahead of a return to playing for Tiverton Town followed by a stint managing the Lympstone-based Royal Marines in 2010.

Over the next decade, Richard was assistant-manager at Cullompton Rangers, a player at Topsham Town and manager at Exmouth Town again (where he spent several seasons) ahead of later managerial appointments at Barnstaple Town, Sidmouth Town and Buckland Athletic. 

In June 2023, after a break from football, Richard became a member of the 'executive committee' at Tiverton Town following the installation of a new chairman and a major restructure. Later, on Martin Rogers' departure from Ladysmead in October 2023, Richard briefly took charge of the first-team before leaving the club when a new manager was appointed. He subsequently became assistant-manager of Bideford in December 2023 and manager of Bridgwater United in September 2024 prior to - just a few weeks later - returning to Speeds Meadow once again to take charge of Cullompton Rangers.