Paul Richardson was signed by Colin Appleton in 1987 on a non-contract basis.
He was a utility player who started his career at Nottingham Forest in 1967 and made nearly 200 apperances at the City ground club, before moving onto Chester and Stoke City. He was at Stoke for 5 years. 
He played for the reserves but failed to make the first team at Exeter and was released.