AFC Bournemouth are saddened to learn of the passing of former player and commercial manager Dickie Dowsett, aged 88.

Dickie, who had been suffering with dementia, passed away in a care home on Sunday. His family confirmed his death was not related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Christened Gilbert but always known as Dickie, he spent five years as a player with the Cherries between 1957 and 1962, finishing as top goalscorer in three successive seasons.

In June 1968, he returned to Dean Court as commercial manager and set up the Cherry Bees fund-raising scheme.

In the early 1970s, Dickie was instrumental in changing the club’s name from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic to AFC Bournemouth together with the design of a new crest.

The crest incorporated traditional elements of the club badge together with a silhouette of Dickie heading a football, something he was renowned for as a player.

He served the club in this capacity for more than 15 years, during which time his wife Cynthia became club secretary.

A lively centre-forward, Dickie joined Tottenham Hotspur from Sudbury Town in May 1952 and scored on his First Division debut at Aston Villa in August 1954.

He moved to Southend United in May 1955, then on to Southampton in July 1956.

Cherries manager Freddie Cox brought him to Dean Court the following summer and he played a significant part in the club’s 1961/62 promotion near-miss.

A firm favourite with the club’s supporters, he made his debut in a 3-1 defeat by Brighton on September 4th 1957 before scoring his first goal in a 2-0 home win against Torquay three days later.

He led the scoring charts with 23 goals as the Cherries finished ninth in Division Three (South) in 1957/58 and netted a crucial last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Swindon as they preserved their third-flight status before the bottom two divisions divided.

Dickie retained the Golden Boot after scoring 13 goals in the following two seasons and joined Crystal Palace for £3,500 in November 1962.

He made a total of 184 appearances in all competitions, scoring 84 times. His tally of 79 goals in 169 league games makes him the club’s sixth-highest all-time leading marksman.

Dickie returned to the south coast in June 1965, joining Weymouth and helping them retain the Southern League title in 1965/66.

After his retirement in 2000, he continued to live locally and remained a well-known and popular personality.

AFC Bournemouth would like to extend our sympathy and condolences to Dickie’s wife Cynthia, his family and friends.