What with the ways professional football enduring a culture shift in the last 20 years or so, the footballing ‘hardman’ is a relic that belongs in the echoes of time, judging from Premier League squads of current. No one quite encapsulated this perceived image quite like former Hammers defender Julian Dicks.
In an age where players seemingly had ‘special skills’ instead of being all round brilliant players, Dicks possessed a ferocious penalty that frightened the life out of goalkeepers. If you were smart, you’d seek out the latest bookmaker offers every time the Bristol born bomber stood over the ball…
This penalty against Manchester United in 1997 possibly being the finest example of such left peg.
Born in 1968 in Bristol England. Dicks began his career at Birmingham City FC at the age of 14 years old under an apprenticeship contact. He was impressive and climbed the ranks at the club before finally earning a spot on the main team and earned his debut in 1985.
He played for the Blues for three years, after which he moved to West Ham united, a club that he would eventually go on to become an undeniable icon.
The full-back had two stints at the club. The first one beginning 1988-1993 before moving to Liverpool for the 1993-1994 season and finally going back to West Ham for the 1994-1999 seasons. He has claimed in recent years that he never wanted to go to Liverpool for the 1993-1994 season.
Having a a reputation as a ‘hard’ footballer, naturally, and he was famous for his tough tackling, consequently he was nicknamed the Terminator on football terraces up and down the land. He was also known for his wanting and reckless behavior. Adding to the fear he reverberated among the opposition, was a penchant for hitting the ball ruddy hard with his left foot.
Sounds crazy, from a time were the full back position was considered periphery compared to other positions on the pitch, Dicks could carry the team like unlike an player in the world. Playing in a West Ham side were goal threat was reasonable, Dicks was the frightening scatter-gun bombing down the wing.
Of course the player could never get away from his nasty side for long, indeed he could be an utter liability at times on the pitch. Apparently in training sessions he would be taking out Billy Bonds and trying to fight him. That was his own manager. Or the time Billy has to run onto the pitch to stop Dicks from trying to fight a couple of wolves players…a bygone player in the extreme
There’s a story that when he was at Liverpool Roy Evans didn’t like him because he couldn’t train and thought he was just a thug, so instead of training with the youth Julian would smash a ball against the wall for a few hours instead alone.
Retirement
Julian Dicks would later seek out a career as a professional golfer. He began playing golf at the age of 22 during his injury time. At the age of 27, he was playing at scratch and even shared the same coach as the pro golfer Colin Montgomerie (Scottish golfer who has won 8 European tours). He eventually stopped golfing due to a recurrent knee problem. The same knee problem forced him to retire from football at a relatively young age of 29. A knee problem incidentally brought about by a two-foot tackle by a certain Dennis Wise in 1990.
After retirement, Dicks ventured into football management where he has managed Wivenhoe Town, Grays Athletic, Sealand, West Ham United Ladies and currently serves as the first-team coach at West Bromwich Albion.