John Dickinson RIP

OneBardGooner · Post by **OneBardGooner** » Mon May 02, 2011 9:17 pm

Rest In Peace.

Post by **REB** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:28 am

marcengels · Post by **marcengels** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:45 am

R.I.P

Jumpers For Goalposts · Tue May 03, 2011 4:36 pm

Off at a slight tangent but does anyone know if anyone was ever arrested or charged with John's murder?? I don't remember seeing any news about arrests back in 1982.

I still have nightmares about that awful day - the panic and confusion when that smoke bomb went off about 3 feet to my left.

Almunia is a clown · Post by **Almunia is a clown** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:31 pm

RIP John

Herd · Post by **Herd** » Fri May 06, 2011 7:18 am

The OB were not particularly fussed about catching his murderer and it was the Inspector in charges first ever big case.
The inspectors remit from on high is that people had to go down for it ,anyone in fact.
They were very keen to put some known faces away including yours truly,they even showed me a statement naming me as being there but I had gone to the East Upper beer some 10 mins before after saying goodbye to John who was returning to Vauxhall for a date.
Surprisingly no one was ever charged with his murder however 2 West Ham who admitted kicking him got sent down for 3/6 months. We were shocked by the bungling prosecutor who reduced the charge from manslaughter to ABH .
Even more surprising though was that the other Arsenal fans who were with John when they were set upon by 300 West ham, each received 18 months for conspiracy pure madness .
This included 1 lad that was beaten senseless and had his arms broken as he curled up on the floor.

cusamano · Post by **cusamano** » Fri May 06, 2011 11:03 am

worthing gooner · Post by **worthing gooner** » Sat May 07, 2011 8:20 am

RIP
Good to still see that he is being remembered by the fans.

SPARKSY · Post by **SPARKSY** » Sat May 07, 2011 9:38 am

Remember the day well. Terrible waste of a life. Nice to see that he is still thought of by Arsenal fans...........................................

On a lighter note, me and a mate were about 15 years old then and were standing in the middle of the North Bank that day. The smoke bomb, which i even remember as being orange, went off right next to us. Couldn't see a thing but we stayed where we were and when the smoke cleared, there we were in a massive void with fighting going on all around us. West Ham one side and Arsenal the other with the Old Bill trying to keep everyone apart and 2 kids right in the middle of these 2 firms.

Had to be there i s'pose.........

Herd · Post by **Herd** » Tue May 10, 2011 2:37 am

franksav63 · Post by **franksav63** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:11 am

R.I.P.,

I was there also that sad day....

I seem to remember that the crowd I was with all got shepherded down to the lower East stand by the police....

goonergeoff · Post by **goonergeoff** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:39 am

R.I.P John.

Jumpers For Goalposts · Tue May 10, 2011 10:56 am

SPARKSY wrote:Remember the day well. Terrible waste of a life. Nice to see that he is still thought of by Arsenal fans...........................................

On a lighter note, me and a mate were about 15 years old then and were standing in the middle of the North Bank that day. The smoke bomb, which i even remember as being orange, went off right next to us. Couldn't see a thing but we stayed where we were and when the smoke cleared, there we were in a massive void with fighting going on all around us. West Ham one side and Arsenal the other with the Old Bill trying to keep everyone apart and 2 kids right in the middle of these 2 firms.

Had to be there i s'pose.........

I know everyone will think "what a wanker" but I think one of those 2 kids was me.

I was right in the middle of the North Bank as the teams came out and the atmosphere just wasn't right. Then a bloke beside me shouted "UNITED" and straight away all hell broke loose.

I remember shitting myself at what was going on around me, made worse by that bloody smoke bomb so I moved upwards and to my right and suddenly seemed to be away from the trouble. When the smoke cleared and I put my glasses back on (long before the laser op!!) I was right in the middle of no man's land.

I remember thinking "what the hell do I do now?" but noticed a red & white scarf in the crowd below me so headed for that. The West Ham lot were finally penned in to the upper corner by the Old Bill if I recall.

franksav63 · Post by **franksav63** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:58 am

Jumpers For Goalposts wrote:
SPARKSY wrote:Remember the day well. Terrible waste of a life. Nice to see that he is still thought of by Arsenal fans...........................................

On a lighter note, me and a mate were about 15 years old then and were standing in the middle of the North Bank that day. The smoke bomb, which i even remember as being orange, went off right next to us. Couldn't see a thing but we stayed where we were and when the smoke cleared, there we were in a massive void with fighting going on all around us. West Ham one side and Arsenal the other with the Old Bill trying to keep everyone apart and 2 kids right in the middle of these 2 firms.

Had to be there i s'pose.........
I know everyone will think "what a wanker" but I think one of those 2 kids was me.

I was right in the middle of the North Bank as the teams came out and the atmosphere just wasn't right. Then a bloke beside me shouted "UNITED" and straight away all hell broke loose.

I remember shitting myself at what was going on around me, made worse by that bloody smoke bomb so I moved upwards and to my right and suddenly seemed to be away from the trouble. When the smoke cleared and I put my glasses back on (long before the laser op!!) I was right in the middle of no man's land.

I remember thinking "what the hell do I do now?" but noticed a red & white scarf in the crowd below me so headed for that. The West Ham lot were finally penned in to the upper corner by the Old Bill if I recall.

I recall it being a really eerie atmosphere, especially when their chant of ICF was called out, very slowly and menancingly.

RoscommonGooner · Post by **RoscommonGooner** » Tue May 10, 2011 11:00 am

R.I.P. John

Jumpers For Goalposts wrote:
I know everyone will think "what a wanker" but I think one of those 2 kids was me.

I was right in the middle of the North Bank as the teams came out and the atmosphere just wasn't right. Then a bloke beside me shouted "UNITED" and straight away all hell broke loose.

I remember shitting myself at what was going on around me, made worse by that bloody smoke bomb so I moved upwards and to my right and suddenly seemed to be away from the trouble. When the smoke cleared and I put my glasses back on (long before the laser op!!) I was right in the middle of no man's land.

I remember thinking "what the hell do I do now?" but noticed a red & white scarf in the crowd below me so headed for that. The West Ham lot were finally penned in to the upper corner by the Old Bill if I recall.

:awnker:

John Dickinson RIP

John Dickinson

Taken in 2008