William Dickson (footballer, born 1866)

William Alexander Dickson (27 August 1866 – 1 June 1910) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Aston Villa and Stoke and also the Scotland national team.[1]

William Dickson
Personal information
Full name William Alexander Dickson[1]
Date of birth 27 August 1866[1]
Place of birth Crail, Fife, Scotland[1]
Date of death 1 June 1910 (aged 43)[1]
Place of death Stoke-upon-Trent, England[1]
Playing position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1886–1888 Dundee Strathmore
1888–1889 Sunderland
1889–1891 Aston Villa 58 (32)
1892–1896 Stoke 119 (40)
Total 177 (72)
National team
1888 Scotland 1 (4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Dickson was born in Crail, Fife and played for Dundee club Strathmore before joining English club Sunderland.[1] Sunderland had been unable to gain a place in the inaugural season of the Football League and played friendly matches in the 1888–89 season, Dickson scoring four goals in nine appearances.[2]

In 1889 he joined Football League side Aston Villa and did well for the Birmingham-based club scoring 34 goals in 64 matches and earned a FA Cup runners-up medal in 1892 FA Cup Final .[1] He joined fellow Midlands based club Stoke in time for the 1892–93 season where he scored 11 goals as Stoke enjoyed their best season in the league up to that point.[1] He scored 13 in 1893–94 including five in six in the short lived United Counties League.[1] As well as playing up front Dickson also played at full-back and would often swap positions on a regular basis.[1] He retired from playing football in 1896 after scoring 48 goals in 135 matches for the "Potters".[1]

Post-retirement

After his retirement Dickson remained in the Stoke area where he was engaged in the licensing business.[3] He was mine host of the Prince of Wales Inn on Liverpool Street.[3] Dickson went on to become a director of the club following financial difficulties in 1908 after it was liquidated and in danger of disappearing completely.[3] However, local feeling was roused at the eleventh hour and monies were raised by 12 local businessmen and a new board was formed, of which Dickson was a member.[3]

Dickson was in Dundee in March 1910 for the silver wedding celebrations of his brother-in-law John Robertson.[3] It was observed that he was not looking at all well and he was practically confined to his house after returning to Stoke. He died of Bright's disease on 1 June 1910 and left a widow and six children. Dickson left £2,092 to his widow Jessie when he died.[3]

International career

Dickson won his only Scotland cap while with Strathmore on 24 March 1888 where he scored four times in a 10–2 win over Ireland. Despite this, he was never selected again for his country. He is one of just two players to have scored four goals in their only Scotland appearance, the other being Charles Heggie two years previously.

Career statistics

Club

Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aston Villa 1889–90 The Football League 20821—229
1890–91 The Football League 181000—1810
1891–92 The Football League 201540—2415
Total 583361006434
Stoke 1892–93 First Division 301110—3111
1893–94 First Division 29820653613
1894–95 First Division 261320102913
1895–96 First Division 30843—3411
1896–97 First Division 4000—40
Total 11940937513548
Career Total 177731547519982
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the 1893–94 United Counties League and the 1894–95 Test Match.

International

Source:[5]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 188814
Total14
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References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. "Billy Dickson". The Stat Cat. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  3. Strachan, Graeme. "The forgotten Tayside footballer who became a Stoke City hero and saved the club from going out of business". The Dundee Courier. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  4. William Dickson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. "Dickson, William". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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