Jimmy Dickinson's Centenary

The 24^th April 2025 marks the centenary of the birth of James William Dickinson M.B.E.  He was born in Alton, Hampshire on 24^th April 1925

The Man

Due to conscription being in place in 1944, Jimmy joined the Navy, spending much of his time overseas which interrupted his football career.

Jim met his wife to be Ann in the summer of 1951 whilst attending a tennis match with some other Pompey players at the Seacourt Club on Hayling Island. She originated from Singapore was on a six-month holiday in England with her parents and although on vacation she was working at Blake Maternity Home in Gosport as part of her Nursing and Midwifery training.

They married in June 1955 at the village church in Chawton, Alton with a local as best man, although Peter Jeffs book ‘Gentleman Jim` does mention that Reg Flewin carried the ring in his pocket. A source close to the family of the best man has photos of the wedding which show Jim holding a glove in his right hand and yes, it is only one. The story is that when groom and best man arrived at the church, they discovered they only had one pair of gloves between them and they belonged to the best man. They decided that the best impression would be created by them carrying one each!!

The couple honeymooned in the West Country and then set up home in Alton in a house that Ann lived until her death. Apparently, Ann’s first major challenges were to get Jim to help with the housework and ‘slowly’ introduce him to Malaysian cooking. In 1955. Jim became the first player at Fratton Park to be allowed a car, a Ford Popular. The terms players possessed at the start of the season clearly stated they were not allowed to drive a car, but being who he was, along with his day-to-day journey Jimmy was seen as an exception. This permission was granted because of the travel involved from his hometown of Alton to Portsmouth. 

Ray Crawford tells the story “Jimmy used to bring his own sandwiches into work. He would go into the Pompey pub on the corner, have his sandwiches, half a lager then go back to his office and do his job.”  Later in his time at Fratton we are told that Jim would take his sandwiches to the Sea front with the Daily Telegraph on a regular basis.

In 1979 I was sat behind Jim and Ann at the Freedom of the City of Portsmouth ceremony to the then Prince Charles.  Jim turned to me and asked if his wife should remove her hat to allow my wife a clearer view of events – that was Jim the gentleman!  

Ann sadly died in 2016. In the marriage it was Ann who wore the trousers which she readily admitted to. The couple in fact were absolute opposites with Jim shy and retiring whereas Ann was described as forthright. 

His ashes are scattered in Alton Cemetery and is marked with a simple plaque. At his funeral in St Mary`s Church in Portsmouth the Pompey chimes were sung.

Also, in his home town of Alton there was a pub named 'The Gentleman Jim' now sadly closed and Dickinson Road in Portsmouth is named in his honour.

His Career.

Signing for 'Pompey' as a trainee, Jimmy made his first appearance for Pompey in May 1943 against Reading, although it was a friendly as league football hadn't resumed because of the Second World War. Due to war and conscription still being in place in 1944, Jimmy joined the Navy, spending much of his time overseas which interrupted his football career. He was 21 years old when League football resumed, making his league debut against Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park on 31 August 1946. What can one say about the great man that has not already been said?

He featured in every match in the 1948-49 season which saw Pompey win the Championship and the club also retained the title the following season. His performances earned him an England call-up in 1949, making his debut for England in Oslo when the "Three Lions" beat Norway 4-1. That was the first of his 48 caps for England, making him Portsmouth's most capped English player of all time. During his record 845 club appearances for Pompey, and his 48 England caps,

What does impress looking at the stats is that Jim played for nineteen seasons and missed just thirty-eight games in all that time! In seven of those seasons Jim played in every league game. Seventeen of those missing games came in the 1954/55 season when after injuring his ankle in pre-season on his comeback he stumbled and broke the same ankle and was in plaster for four months. With Jim`s reputation I am surprised that stopped him playing for his beloved Pompey!
In 1964 he was awarded the M.B.E for services to Association Football - something extremely rare in those days.

At the end of his career he played an amazing 185 consecutive games before being rested at Norwich after playing twice in the previous three days to enable him to rest before his final game on his fortieth birthday at Northampton in 1965.

First game report 31 August 1946 Blackburn (H) 3-1

Football started again after the war and a young Dickinson was named at Right Half for the visit of the Rovers.

Scanning the reports available there is no mention of Jim’s performance but only of a solid rearguard action of which Jim was a part.  It was the start of the formation of the great Pompey side that would win back-to-back league titles in 1948/49 and 1949/50.

Last game 24 April 1965 Northampton (A) 

Northampton was the place to be in 1965 as the Cobblers had already achieved promotion behind champions Newcastle and would play in the top flight for the first (and the last) time in their history. The three-sided County Ground was packed with over 20,600 fans as Jim was given a special welcome by the players and the fans.

Many Pompey fans travelled to the game which strangely was played on Saturday evening. They knew that as Southampton had beaten Swindon 2-1 earlier all we needed was a point to avoid relegation. There was only one problem in that Northampton had the best home record in the division – they were unbeaten and Pompey had the worst away record with only one win (at Coventry).

Those at home listened to transistor radios for score flashes but those days they were hard to get. Half time 0-0 then with thirteen minutes left another Pompey stalwart and Hall of Famer, Johnny Gordon, headed a free kick by Cobbler’s captain Theo Foley, into his own net and defeat was staring the blues in the face. Surely Jim`s career could not end in relegation? "Cometh the man" they say, and with 5 or 6 minutes left Alex Wilson had a deflected kick from 12 yards into the goal to score the equaliser. Pompey player, Cliff Portwood, swore for many days afterwards that the ball brushed his knee on the way in and that deflection meant it went in past the keeper, but nevertheless the goal was credited to Wilson.
Pompey held on and a number of the papers reckon that the ref blew the whistle a bit early to finish the game!  Jim was chaired from the pitch by players and fans alike. In fact, everyone was celebrating with the home team promoted.

Meanwhile back in Portsmouth fans were desperate for news of the result and there were queues at newsagents throughout the City waiting for the Evening News special to be delivered with the match report printed in the stop press!! Most were sold out of the back of the van in the end in an ungainly scramble! Modern day fans just do not realise how lucky they are with the internet, radio, television etc all constantly publishing the latest results.

So Swindon and Swansea were relegated and Pompey were to stay in Division Two for another eleven years. And strangely the next time Pompey fans would have anything to celebrate after a league game would be fifteen years later at Northampton!!

The very next day Jim would play his first game for the Pompey ex-professional XI!

Eddie Lever’s role

Eddie Lever was Jim’s school games master and maths teacher in Alton plus youth team coach and football mentor. He knew Walter Winterbottom (the England Manager) well, so was well connected. He formed the Alton Town Youth club based at Jim’s school and was known as a great coach, forming a bond with a young Jimmy Dickinson.

Eddie played in Pompey’s reserve team at age 17 (the club allowed him to continue his training as a teacher) before joining Aldershot and gave up playing in 1934 due to knee trouble. So, he loved Pompey and was employed as a scout in the late 30s early 40s. He was a youth team coach at Pompey in the 1940s and then Deputy Head of North End Modern School for Boys and at the same time Pompey’s Reserve Team Manager under both Bob Jackson and Jack Tinn.

Eddie drove Jimmy down to his first trial for Pompey but the club turned Jimmy down! Wolves then offered him a place in their squad so Eddie tried again and Jimmy was pencilled in to play in Pompey's last game of the season (1942-1943) and the rest is history. Only the short time in the Navy halted his Pompey career.

In 1952 Chairman Richard Vernon Stokes gave him 24 hours to decide if he wanted to be our first team manager when Bob Jackson moved to Hull. Eddie accepted thus ended up managing Jimmy Dickinson. It was a full time role so he resigned from the school and started with the club on 23rd June 1952. He lasted in the managers job until May 1958. 

Eddie was many peoples Maths teacher at Oak Park School at Havant in the 1960s so you may get someone who has fond memories of him.

So, Pompey have Eddie Lever to thank for Jimmy playing for them.

Life after playing

Jimmy served Pompey as Public Relations Officer and Secretary before accepting the post of Manager in May 1977 after the sacking of Ian St John.  Sadly Jim did not really want the position but grudgingly accepted and although saving the club from relegation to the Fourth Division in 1977 the inevitable followed the next season. That time in the hot seat was blighted by financial hardship and his task was not an easy one.  Sadly, at Barnsley on a Tuesday night Jim suffered a massive heart attack and only the quick action of a doctor at the game saved his life.  Jimmy had to resign as manager but the club kept him on the payroll, sadly his health continued to blight him and after two more heart attacks he passed away at home on 8 November 1982 aged just 57.

The famous 'Pompey Chimes' rang hauntingly around St Mary's Church in Fratton at a packed memorial service.

History Society memorabilia

Recently the Society purchased a Jimmy Dickinson England shirt at auction, and whilst all our pennies should be going towards the Peter Harris medal appeal this was too good an opportunity to miss as most of his England shirts have not survived and they are therefore very rare. The shirt was worn during the Scotland versus England game on April 15th 1950, England winning 1-0. We hope to put the shirt on display in the Jimmy Dickinson lounge at some stage when a suitable space and cabinet can be arranged and in the meantime, it will go on display at the City Museum.

We also show readers Jim's England cap for Portugal game away in Porto on 22 May 1955.  England lost 3-1 with two late goals.  I also have a report of that game in Portuguese but have not included it here.

With thanks to many sources especially Peter Jeffs for various references from the book "Pompeys Gentleman Jim" by Peter Jeffs, Breedon Books, 1988 and a number of Pompey fans for their recollections of the great man.

Pompeyrama stats here