Jimmy Dykes

Jimmy Dykes
Jimmy Dykes
AppsGoals
League 263
FAI Cup 41
Shield 70
City Cup 30
Leinster Cup 10
Others 60
Totals 474
1945-46 172
1946-47 302
Totals 474
Date Of Birth: 12 Oct 1916
Place Of Birth: Law, Lanark
Total Appearances: 47
Total Goals: 4
Position: CH
Nationality: SCO
Debut: 09-Dec-45, League, (H) v. Waterford

Bio:

The arrival in December 1945 of twice-capped Scottish International Jimmy Dykes more than made up for the loss following the departure of Johnny Leathem at the end of the 1944-45 season.

Not seventeen when he signed for Hearts in May 1933, he had spent the last six pre-war seasons with the Scottish First Division club, and as well as two full caps he had been honoured 3 times with the Scottish League. In 1937-38 he had been central to Hearts achievement of its best Scottish League finish in a quarter of a century when they finished runner up to Celtic.

In the summer of 1939 he was a member of a Scottish National squad that undertook a 14-match tour of the United States and Canada. He was also honoured with four war-time caps, all against England, and for the January 1942 outing at Wembley his half-back partners were Bill Shankly and Matt Busby.

In the war time Leagues he guested with Ayr United, Blackpool, Charlton Athletic and Chelsea before heading for Belfast in December 1942.

For the three seasons before coming to Dundalk he was with Glentoran (80 Apps, 13 goals), collecting an Inter City Cup medal in 1944, defeating Belfast Celtic in the final, and had appeared in two Irish Cup finals, losing out in 1943 to Celtic and in 1945 to Linfield.

The arrival of the 6’ 2’’ blonde centre half at Oriel Park in early December, and in time for the 1945-46 League campaign, swelled the crowds even higher in an attendance record-breaking year.

He stayed for two seasons, picking up a runner up medal in the 46-47 Shield when Drumcondra pipped Dundalk.

In Joey Donnelly’s last season, older supporters remembered with affection the normal lineout this season—Fred Kieran, Paddy Durkan, Jim Hearty, Joey Donnelly, Jimmy Dykes, Johnny Matthews, and the forwards being selected from Peter Corr, Jimmy McEvoy, Joe O’Brien, Peadar Walsh, Dessie Byrne and Jimmy Kelly. What an array of talent.

After his Dundalk spell, Jimmy moved back to Irish League football, spending three seasons with Portadown, where he was a member of their 1948-49 Scottish team that regularly lined out with 10 Scots and one local. However he had no club successes with the Ports, who at that time were a bottom-half of the table outfit.

Six months with Newry Town at the beginning of the 1950-51 season brought closure to his 9-year Irish stay and he then had one last fling in Scottish football with Ross County before emigrating to Australia. He has been elected to the Hearts Decade Hall of Fame for the period 1934 to 1944.

What They Said About Him

After defeating an unbeaten Bohs at Dalymount Park, the Democrat hailed him as “Man of the match. Whether the ball was on the ground or in the air, Dykes was the master of Boh’s leading scorer, Mick O’Flanagan. Terrific in the air, Dykes tackled, intercepted and kicked flawlessly. He was the pivotal figure in a splendid Dundalk defence which reduced Bohemian’s forward line to impotency. “

Honours:

1 Runner Up: Shield 1946-47.