Julian Dicks, the West Ham legend who has been in charge of Heybridge Swifts for the past 17 months, recently made the tough decision to walk away from his role as boss. The 57-year-old former left-back cited a disagreement over budget cuts as the main reason for his departure. This marks Dicks’ third stint with the Essex outfit, which currently sits in the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.
In a statement released by Heybridge, it was confirmed that Dicks had resigned from his position as first-team manager. The club expressed their gratitude for his time, effort, and commitment during his tenure and wished him the best for the future. As a result of Dicks’ departure, Adrian Whitbread will take charge of the first team on an interim basis while the club explores its options.
Dicks began his playing career with Birmingham City before joining West Ham in 1988. He went on to make 326 appearances for the Hammers across two spells, scoring 29 goals in the process. After a brief stint with Liverpool, Dicks returned to West Ham, where he remained for five more years before retiring as a player. He then transitioned into a managerial career, with spells at Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic before eventually returning to West Ham as a coach. Dicks’ most recent role at Heybridge was his third time managing the club, having previously had stints at West Brom and Watford in between.
