John Dick

Who is John Dick?

John Dick was a Scottish footballer.

Born in Eaglesham, Renfrewshire, Dick first played for Airdrieonians, but in 1898 he was signed by London side Woolwich Arsenal as one of manager William Elcoat's many Scottish signings, with reserve striker James Devlin going the other way. A strong muscular centre half, Dick immediately made his debut for the Gunners on the first day of the season, and he only missed four games of his first season.

Dick was noted for his formidable stamina, and was a near ever-present in the Woolwich Arsenal side for the next six seasons; he missed only one game in 1899-1900, and although not a prolific goalscorer, he did score twice in a 12-0 demolition of Loughborough on 12 March 1900, the Gunners' record win in a competitive match.

With the arrival of Percy Sands in 1903, Dick moved to right half, and continued to be an ever-present as Arsenal won promotion from the Second Division to the First Division in 1903-04. In the meantime he had also become club captain, though by the time promotion had come round, fellow Scot Jimmy Jackson had taken over as skipper.