Dicker prepares for Withdean return

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Gary Dicker looks back on his time with Albion during the Withdean era.

Charlie Hanson

2024-10-09T06:00+01:00

Gary Dicker sprays a pass during Albion's win over Dagenham & Redbridge in 2011, a result that secured our promotion to the Championship. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Our men's under-21s take on Varndeanians in the second round of the Sussex Senior Cup on Wednesday, kick-off 7.45pm.

It will be our first match at Withdean since the League One promotion winning season in 2010/11, which under-21s professional development phase coach Gary Dicker played a pivotal role in.

He has reflected on his and the club's time during that era, which ensured that when Albion moved to the the Amex, they would be playing football in the second tier.

Gary, what are your standout memories of the Withdean era?

Gary made 153 appearances for Albion. 📷 by Geoff Penn.

“The first one was staying up in 2009 under Russell Slade. We shouldn't have stayed up that year. We played against Stockport County on the final day when I was on loan from there. Stockport didn't put it in my contract that I couldn't play against them, but rang me before the game and said, ‘You're obviously not playing’ - but of course I did. That was the game we stayed up."

How well did you play in that game?

"I was alright, I got the assist for Nicky Forster’s tap-in! We won 1-0 - it's a bit crazy to think how important that goal was."

Promotion in 2011 can’t have been too bad either. How do you reflect on that year, it must have felt special at the time?

“If we didn't win the league that year, moving into the stadium would have been a lot different for the club and for us, that was the biggest part of it.

Gary Dicker alongside Tommy Elphick during the promotion parade in 2011. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

"It was probably one of the best groups I've ever been involved in and I've heard the dressing rooms at Withdean are still the same as they were then.

"Also it’s worth mentioning that the pitch during the promotion year – which was looked after by Steve Winterburn – was unbelievable. Maybe my brain is just thinking that, but it felt like every game we played there, the pitch was top."

Is there anything about the ground that you think of particularly fondly?

"I don’t think there would be one thing in particular – actually, I miss the shot put area! I also remember the ponchos that supporters were given when it was raining. But to be honest it’s just the feel about the place.

"I've not been back since we won promotion, so it's nice to be going back there. I’ve got great memories, I met some unbelievable people moving to the club at that stage for me and my career.

“I'm hoping that Wednesday night is the same because I don't want to finish with a bad memory there - I left it in a good place and I'm aiming to leave it again in a good place."

Does the importance of the Withdean era come into preparing the players for Wednesday’s game?

Gary Dicker is now a professional development phase coach with our men's under-21s. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“We touched on it on Tuesday to be fair. We'll bring it up before the game too, because it is a massive part of the history of the club.

"It’s important for the players to understand where the club's come from. It's quite easy to come in here now and think it's always been like this, that we've always had the Amex, that we've always had an incredible training ground, that the food's unbelievable and the kit is looked after.

“What happened at Withdean laid the foundations for what we have now. I think it's really important that they know.”

You go into this one after a 10-0 win against Crystal Palace. Football has a funny way of bringing you crashing back down to earth, so what’s the message going into this one?

"We spoke straight after the game. The message was football can hurt you. Don't let your mind run away with winning 10-0, football can bite you on the backside.

"It might not look like it from the outside, but to go from 10-0 against Palace, to playing Varndeanians at Withdean, the contrast is unbelievable for their development, for their mindset and how they approach stuff.

"There’s even more pressure on the lads because of it."