June 2005

The Club has learnt that in the first round of the Southern League Cup they will be at home to Sittingbourne FC. The date of the tie is the week commencing September 19th. Also, in the Southern League Division 1 East "Team of the Season" included are three Blues players goalkeeper Tony Tucker and defenders Bradley Woodards and the now departed Ebow Mensah.

An article in today's Barking & Dagenham Recorder reports the tragic death of former Barking Player of the Year Micky Dingwall at the age of 49 last Thursday (June 2nd). Micky (pictured right) a bustling forward died as the result of a brain tumour which was diagnosed on May 5th. Micky was Barking's player of the year in season 1979-80 and after leaving Barking played for Leytonstone and Ilford and the merged Redbridge Forest. Club Statistician Les Wilson has provided the following information on Micky's career in a Blue shirt.   Micky’s first game for Barking was on Saturday, November 5th 1977 away to Staines Town a 3-2 win. He started with Barking as a central defender and eventually became a top class striker and goalscorer under the management of Eddie McCluskey.   His first goal for Barking was on Tuesday December 13th 1977 in a London Senior Cup win at home to Feltham and in his first season he scored ten goals in twenty appearances. The following season 1978-79 he opened his goal account on September 12th in a 2-0 home league win v Carshalton Athletic and in the following game on September 16th scored both goals in a 2-0 win in the FA Cup

at Ware. In the climax of that 1978-79 season Barking clinched the Premier Division title with a 3-0 win at Dagenham on Monday April 23rd 1979 with Micky scoring the vital second.goal. The following Monday April 30th he notched two of the goals in a fabulous 4-1 win away to Wycombe Wanderers as Premier League Champions.

On Saturday May 5th 1979 Barking triumphed in the London Senior Cup Final v Croydon at Tooting 3-0 with Micky scoring the second goal. In the Championship winning season Micky made 48 appearances, half of them in defence, scoring  seventeen goals. The following season 1979-80 he made 55 appearances scoring sixteen goals. and became the Club's, Player's, and Supporter's Player of the Year. In the 1980-81 season he made seventeen appearances, scored five goals. and then was transferred at his own request on October 29th 1980 to Leytonstone and Ilford.

Micky’s total record for Barking was:-

Les's appraisal of Micky was "Quite a player and will be well remembered by all the Barking fans of that time"

The Club's sympathies and thoughts are with Micky's family at this time.