Dickie Dale (footballer)

Richard Armstrong Dale (21 May 1896 – 1975) was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half. He played 146 games in the First Division of the Football League for Birmingham before moving on to West Bromwich Albion and Tranmere Rovers. He finished his career back in his native north-east of England, in non-League football with Crook Town.

Dickie Dale

Personal information
Full name	Richard Armstrong Dale
Date of birth	(1896-05-21)21 May 1896[1]
Place of birth	Willington, County Durham, England
Date of death	1975 (aged 78–79)[1]
Place of death	Newcastle, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Playing position(s)	Wing half
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Stanley United
	North Walbottle
	West Hartlepool
1922–1928	Birmingham	146	(0)
1928–1931	West Bromwich Albion	19	(0)
1931–1932	Tranmere Rovers	7	(0)
1932–193?	Crook Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Dale was born in Willington, County Durham,[3][4] in 1896, the son of James Dale, an engine man in a coal mine, and his wife Elizabeth. The 1911 Census finds him living with his parents and two younger sisters in North Walbottle, Northumberland, and working as a pony driver in a coal mine.[5]

Dale played for Stanley United, North Walbottle and West Hartlepool[1] before joining Football League First Division club Birmingham on trial in March 1922. The trial proved successful, he made his Football League debut on 6 September 1922 in a goalless draw away to Newcastle United, and, according to the Athletic News in March 1924, he "gave such a sound and, indeed, striking display, even at left half-back, that he has been considered a regular member of the side ever since."[6] He kept his place for two more matches before the England international Percy Barton returned from injury. A few weeks later, after more injuries left a vacancy at right half, Dale "demonstrated his versatility by at once falling into the position",[6] and held it until mid-March 1923 when Jimmy Daws came back into the team. He made 34 League appearances in the 1923–24 season, mainly at right half but also covering at centre half.[7]

Over the next three seasons, he played in 75 League matches, not always first choice in the starting eleven but always first choice as cover for any half-back position.[8] Often noted for his enthusiasm and work-rate, and sometimes for his judgment,[6][9] he was at his peak from 1925 to 1926,[10] having dislodged Barton to the covering role in the latter part of the 1925–26 season and retained the left-half position for much of the following campaign.[11][12] In September 1927, he stood in successfully for Jimmy Cringan at centre half,[13] but played little during the rest of the season.[14] Early in the 1928–29 season, Dale stood in for the injured Barton for seven games, and was reported to have "[given] a good account of himself" in a goalless draw away against Arsenal,[15] but he was soon to move on. He had played 151 matches in League and FA Cup but, despite the Sports Argus correspondent's view some four years earlier that he was "fast developing into a good shot",[16] never scored.[1]

Second Division club West Bromwich Albion, who were in dire need of a half-back, – they had three left halves on the books, all of whom were unfit[4] – paid "just over two thousand pounds" for Dale's services,[17] and put him straight into their League eleven. An injury in mid-January kept him out for two months, and he made only ten League appearances, followed with nine in 1929–30.[18][1] He married Alice Sadler in Newcastle during the 1930 close season.[19]

After a season unable to break back into the first team as Albion gained promotion to the First Division and beat Birmingham in the 1931 FA Cup Final,[1][20] Dale joined Tranmere Rovers of the Third Division North for a club record fee paid of £400.[21][22] He made ten appearances in all senior competitions,[1] and returned to his native north east of England. In November 1932, he joined North-Eastern League club Crook Town as player-coach.[23]

The 1939 Register finds him living in Newburn, Northumberland, and working as a colliery labourer.[24] In the early 1950s, he was scouting for West Bromwich Albion.[25] Dale died in Newcastle in 1975 at the age of 79.[1][26]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[1]

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Birmingham	1922–23	First Division	22	0	1	0	23	0
	1923–24	First Division	34	0	1	0	35	0
	1924–25	First Division	22	0	1	0	23	0
	1925–26	First Division	24	0	1	0	25	0
	1926–27	First Division	29	0	1	0	30	0
	1927–28	First Division	8	0	0	0	8	0
	1928–29	First Division	7	0	0	0	7	0
	Total		146	0	5	0	151	0
West Bromwich Albion	1928–29	Second Division	10	0	2	0	12	0
	1929–30	Second Division	9	0	0	0	9	0
	1930–31	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		19	0	2	0	21	0
Tranmere Rovers	1931–32	Third Division North	7	0	3	0	10	0
Total			172	0	10	0	182	0

References

General

• Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
• Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: Derby Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.

Specific

1. "Player search: Dale, RA (Dickie)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
2. "Blues" News. The Official Programme of Birmingham Football Club, Ltd. Birmingham F.C. 30 August 1924. p. 3.
3. Matthews (1995), p. 81.
4. "R. Dale leaves Blues". Birmingham Gazette. 22 November 1928. p. 10.
5. "Richard A Dale". Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. RG14/30875 – via Ancestry Library Edition.
6. "A Birmingham Brilliant". Athletic News. Manchester. 17 March 1924. p. 1. ...a whole-hearted player, with discretion and judgment far in excess of his experience.
7. Matthews (2010), pp. 286–289.
8. Matthews (2010), pp. 290–295.
9. 'Argus Junior' (11 September 1926). "Between the lines. How champions were humbled". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1. And what a worker Richard Dale proved himself! He bottled up the right wing by his sound judgment
   'The Sentry' (9 October 1926). "Jackets and jerseys". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1. Richard Dale, the enthusiastic Birmingham halfback, got a nasty kick on the ankle, but it did not prevent him from playing a splendid game.
10. "Shots for goal". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 11 April 1925. p. 1. Richard Dale never played better for Birmingham than he is at the present time.
11. 'Argus Junior' (30 January 1926). "Leaves of my notebook". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1. Richard Dale has already proved himself the superior of Barton on the International's current form
12. Matthews (2010), pp. 292–295.
13. "Gossip and gleanings. Dale the versatile". Derby Daily Telegraph. 17 September 1927. p. 4. Richard Dale, who is deputising for Cringan as the centre-half in the Birmingham eleven, is proving decidedly useful in that position.
14. Matthews (2010), pp. 296–297.
15. "Round the grounds". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 22 September 1928. p. 4.
16. "Football searchlight". Sports Argus. Birmingham. 29 March 1924. p. 1.
17. "Soccer chatter exclusive". Derby Daily Telegraph. 5 December 1928. p. 10.
18. "Bloomfield outpointed". Derby Daily Telegraph. 11 February 1929. p. 8.
19. "Untitled". Birmingham Gazette. 25 June 1930. p. 11.
20. "West Bromwich Albion". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
21. "Important football moves. Tranmere Rovers sign Gray, ex-Manchester City". Liverpool Echo. 25 June 1931. p. 7.
22. "A history of Tranmere's record transfer fee". Planet Prentonia. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
23. "Untitled". Sports Special. Sheffield. 12 November 1932. p. 4.
24. "Richard A Dale". 1939 Register. RG 101/2986B GCOL – via Ancestry Library Edition.
25. Knight, Dick (18 August 1952). "Albion have challengers for league side". Birmingham Gazette. p. 6.
26. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 June 2020.