Morris Dickie Image 2 Leeds City 1905

Description

Newtown, Powys born inside left Dickie Morris began his football career with hometown club Newtown in 1900, joining Druids early in 1902. He made his international debut for Wales while at Druids, playing in a 3-0 defeat to Ireland at Ninian Park, Cardiff, and a month later he was bought by First Division Liverpool, for whom he made his Football League debut against Bury in April 1902.

Although Morris only scored five goals in his 39 appearances for Liverpool and was never a regular in the team in his 3 year spell, two of them earned a draw in the Merseyside derby at Anfield in October 1903. While Liverpool were relegated that season, Morris played only 7 times as they won the 1904-05 Second Division Championship at the first time of asking. Morris was often criticised for wasting good scoring opportunities, but he was “one of the trickiest players who ever kicked a ball. He is too clever, too fond of arguing I believe is the expression now current,” noted the joint Everton/Liverpool programme in 1904. He was furthermore described as a “tireless runner and top speed dribbler.”

Morris headed to Second Division Leeds City in the summer of 1905, playing in their inaugural League fixture at Bradford City that September. The Yorkshire Post hailed his signing as a major coup, describing him as a “clever exponent of the forward game”. He scored 10 goals for Leeds in 31 appearances, 4 of which came in an 11-0 drubbing of non league Morley in an FA Cup tie in October 1905. He became the first Leeds player to win international honours while on the Elland Road club’s books when selected for Wales against Ireland in March 1906, which was already his 9th cap for Wales. He scored his first goal for Wales the following year in a 3-2 win against Ireland on 23rd February 1907 which helped the team win their first British Home Championship title.

By then he had left Leeds City to join Grimsby Town in June 1906 where he scored 7 goals in 26 appearances for The Mariners during 1906-07, before joining Southern League Plymouth Argyle in the summer of 1907. Morris was a regular in the side during his only campaign with Argyle, and had a fair goalscoring record. He became the first player to be capped whilst with Plymouth Argyle when he played for Wales against Ireland in what proved to be his final international appearancen 11th April 1908 in a 1-0 defeat to Ireland at Aberdare Athletic Ground. After leaving Plymouth at the end of the 1907-08 season, during which he scored 10 goals in 37 appearances, he had a spell with Reading in 1908-09 before ending his career at Huddersfield Town in 1909-10, retiring before they gained League status.