blueeyed.handsomeman 1:08 Wed Mar 18
John Dick
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A big powerful Scottish striker who had an extra powerful
shot from his favoured left foot.
He was discovered by the Great Ted FENTON.
John is in the group of four all time top goalscorers for us,
if John was still alive he would be celebrating his 90th birthday today.
p[ease any WHOers who have memories of Jack as he was known as by his team mates,
please post them on here
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Fog
2:38 Sun Mar 22
Re: John Dick
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I didn't realise that Beery, but as you say, great that a top ex-pro should retain such interest.
You're right when you mention passion though. One small story I can remember from pre-season training one Sunday morning .
As per usual, we'd been on the lash the night before in Hollywoods or somewhere similar, so struggling badly, especially after a load of sit ups. We then started ball work. I was a keeper and John decided we'd start off with him pinging in a series of low hard shots from 20 yards or so.
Somehow I got to the first one. I was still pulling myself up when the second one came in. I more or less fell over the top of it and landed in an undignified heap, the ball behind me in the net, Robertoesque. Also by this time fairly close to the point of vomit.
All I heard in the distance was a gruff Scottish accent bark 'Come on keeper, I could have saved that with my winkle!', without a hint of irony. For everyone else, funny at the time. But it was his way of telling you in his own driven way that he knew you could do better. Either that or he had a massive winkle. But I prefer to think it was the former. A great bloke anyway!
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Far Cough
5:05 Sat Mar 21
Re: John Dick
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George Best was the wizard but Denis Law was rightfully called the "King"
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Beery
5:01 Sat Mar 21
Re: John Dick
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Fog, a team called Santos. We played at the Rec for around 5 years from about U-13 level. Happy days.
Seems like he might have got himself involved with more than one team, brilliant that a retired player retained such a passionate interest in the game - and put the effort in to help.
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Fog
12:06 Sat Mar 21
Re: John Dick
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Beery, St Augustines? Good to hear that you all turned out for his funeral. But not a surprise given the respect for the man. I think I was working abroad unfortunately when he passed.
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Number9
11:26 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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When I started training at West Ham he was my coach. He was really good to me but as he was an old mate of my fathers that may have helped. Whenever i think of him I always imagine him taking training at Chadwell Heath with a Sporting Life in his back pocket & a scotch to hand.
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Beery
9:24 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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We played in the same team then Fog.
John was a great guy, he watched us for years and passed on so much when he coached us. I remember he'd grab me by the arm when he was making a point and tell it exactly as it was.
He got this gleam in his eye when he was talking about the game, but rarely mentioned his own achievements because he was so humble.
We said goodbye to him one Sunday morning after a game and he had a stroke that evening. Our whole team turned out for his funeral, things weren't quite the same after he was gone.
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ted fenton
8:26 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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I believe that the groundsman for the Huddersfield game got sacked for putting salt onto the frozen pitch !!!
Twat.
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kips
6:20 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Yes we played them a few time in division 2 after they came down from the First Division. We did the double over them in our promotion year.
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martinbritt_63
6:19 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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kips 5:45 Fri Mar 20
I too bunked off school for the midweek afternoon replay.
The pitch was frozen like an ice rink, and it appeared that Denis Law was the only person wearing skates !
He was bloody marvellous...
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easthammer
6:06 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Kips
I think I remember seeing Denis Law at Upton Park playing for Huddersfield but I don't think it was this game. Must have been the 1957/8 season, records say we won that one 5-2.
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kips
5:45 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Sven - Old timer story from 60years ago you may not have heard about from the John Dick days.
1959/60 season - West Ham, having finished an excellent 6th the previous season in what was their first season in the top tier, were performing well again and were comfortably top half at Christmas.
They were looking forward to a decent cup run and drew second division Huddersfield Town away in the 3rd round of the FA cup.
Bill Shankly was Huddersfield Manager up until Christmas but after a dismal run of form he resigned over the Holiday period.
West ham travelled in hope to an out of form Huddersfield who were well down in the 2nd division at that point.
On Saturday 9th January West Ham gained a hard earned draw with John Dick scoring the equaliser.
The replay was scheduled for the following Wednesday at Upton Park and the confidence was high in the camp. A slightly weakened team was put out that day with no John Dick.
It was a 2.00 pm kick-off and by just after 3.0 pm we were 1 - 5 down. A young precocious inside forward tore West Ham's defence to shreds and although he did not score he set up 4 of Huddersfield's goals.
Less than 2 months later this young scot, an admirer of John Dick, was transferred to Manchester City for a British transfer Record.
His name - Denis Law.
I did not see this match but my mate bunked of school to watch the carnage.
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Sven Roeder
10:11 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Great stories
More of these please about players most of us would never have seen live.
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Far Cough
7:51 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Fucking hell, the rec, I played football there many times for Mossford juniors
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Fog
1:30 Fri Mar 20
Re: John Dick
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Absolutely lovely man and a real character. Far too young to see him play, but he used to spend a lot of time in Barkingside Rec in the 80s and ended up coaching our Sunday League team.
Even in his 50s, carrying various old injuries, he still had a really powerful shot on him with virtually zero back lift. But his passion for football was amazing. Loved to teach you and try and make you a better player, but with a really good sense of humour. Still had a big soft spot for West Ham. He used to go over Walthamstow and Hackney Dogs with my mate's dad.
Before he took over as coach, he was guest of honour at one of our end of season dinners alongside an 18 year old Paul Ince. Ince was a mate of one of our players and just breaking into West Ham's team. Of the two, the bloke who was entitled to have a massive ego had none at all, and the other, well you know.
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,
11:03 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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His legs did not match.
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Mex Martillo
7:49 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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Some proper old fuckers on here.
Love that story Easthammer, excellent.
Amazing video, Martin.
Really interesting to read these memories.
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Coffee
7:02 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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easthammer 2:11 Thu Mar 19
Great story!
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percyd
6:45 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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First game I saw, March '58 vs Rotherham 8-0 John Dick got 4 of 'em. I was hooked! As I recall he had a very distinctive gait when running. I was 8 at the time, Johnny Dick would have been 28.
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Texas Iron
2:46 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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Dick and Keeble...
What a strike pair...
Saw them play often mid/late50s
176 goals in 364
Great left foot...
😀😀😀😀
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easthammer
2:11 Thu Mar 19
Re: John Dick
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My best memory of John Dick goes back to Sept 1958 when I was a 10 year old. ( three weeks short of my 11th Birthday).
We had just been promoted to Division One and had made a good start to the season and it was our third home game against Man Utd.
The Boleyn was rammed 36,000 in the old place then was a tight fit. Me and my mates got the ground and found getting in my normal stop in the South Bank was looking unlikely so many Mancs in there already (not segregated back then). So went in the North Bank and found our way to the front just behind the goal.
The atmosphere was brilliant Man U were there for the taking as they were still rebuilding from Munich earlier that year. It was tight game which we won 3 - 2 and Dick scored with a rasping left foot (his forte). Think it might have been the first but not sure now, but in any case that was not my enduring memory from that game. I had seen him do that often enough in the previous season. What I had not seen him do before however, was layout the opposition's centre half with a single punch on the point of the chin. What was more exceptional was the recipient of the amazing right hook, delivered from a kneeling position after a coming together near the half way line, was the Man U's captain Bill Foulkes who was a man mountain and no shrinking violet. (check him out if you don't know). Even better neither the Ref or linos saw this happen and as the ball had gone rapidly towards the West Ham goal after Foulkes' tackle on Dick. Obviously it was one from behind this was 1958. The game was eventually stopped for an "injury" near the half way line. Which for all not watching was mere collision. I had always considered John Dick a tough bastard just how tough I hadn't realised till then.
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