Waterlooville sport has been saddened by the death of well known local footballer, cricketer and golfer Keith Dyke, 74, who was on Pompey’s books as a youngster.
Talented with ball in hand, Dyke was a junior at Fratton Park during the A-team days and a youth team-mate of Mick Mills, who went on to play for Ipswich Town and England. The pair both played for Pompey Juniors in the South East Counties Youth League and later the A-side in the Hampshire League and on three occasions for the reserve team in the Football Combination.
But his hopes of becoming a full-time professional goalkeeper were dashed in 1965/66 when then Pompey boss George Smith controversially disbanded the reserve and youth teams, leaving a first team squad of just 16 players.
Savings of £20,000 annually were projected as Smith explained that "there was nothing but fish in the sea around Portsmouth".
He subsequently joined Salisbury City, then of the powerful Western League. His goalkeeping excellence was once highlighted in the Guardian newspaper for a heroic display in an FA Cup first round tie against Swindon Town at the County Ground in December 1967, which the Robins won 4-0, a match officiated by 1974 FIFA World Cup final referee Jack Taylor. The report praised Dyke for his courage and resistance "catching, punching or finger-tipping everything which came his way." Over 12,000 applauded him off at the end.
Dyke then joined Bideford Town, playing as a semi-professional for the North Devon club, travelling 175 miles or more from Waterlooville for home matches alone : these were before the days when motorways criss-crossed the country. His hikes across single-carriageway roads, the Devon leg across the Moors, took almost five hours !
His excellent glovework was perfect for cricket. He played as a batsman/wicketkeeper for Waterlooville for two decades or more and in his latter years led the Ville to the Southern League Second XI Championship title in 1986.
He ran the Truants midweek side which hosted touring teams at Rowlands Avenue and was a key member of the Petersville side which, in the early 1970s, broke a Southampton club stranglehold by winning the County Ground Knockout at Northlands Road.
After hanging up his wicketkeeping gloves, Dyke turned his attentions to golf and for 15 years was a member at Waterlooville Golf Club, representing them in inter-club fixtures.
Away from sport, he managed the TAV staff agency in Havant for many years.
Keith's funeral is at Portchester on Tuesday (1pm) and afterwards in the Bat & Ball PH at Hambledon.
Talented with ball in hand, Dyke was a junior at Fratton Park during the A-team days and a youth team-mate of Mick Mills, who went on to play for Ipswich Town and England. The pair both played for Pompey Juniors in the South East Counties Youth League and later the A-side in the Hampshire League and on three occasions for the reserve team in the Football Combination.
But his hopes of becoming a full-time professional goalkeeper were dashed in 1965/66 when then Pompey boss George Smith controversially disbanded the reserve and youth teams, leaving a first team squad of just 16 players.
Savings of £20,000 annually were projected as Smith explained that "there was nothing but fish in the sea around Portsmouth".
He subsequently joined Salisbury City, then of the powerful Western League. His goalkeeping excellence was once highlighted in the Guardian newspaper for a heroic display in an FA Cup first round tie against Swindon Town at the County Ground in December 1967, which the Robins won 4-0, a match officiated by 1974 FIFA World Cup final referee Jack Taylor. The report praised Dyke for his courage and resistance "catching, punching or finger-tipping everything which came his way." Over 12,000 applauded him off at the end.
Dyke then joined Bideford Town, playing as a semi-professional for the North Devon club, travelling 175 miles or more from Waterlooville for home matches alone : these were before the days when motorways criss-crossed the country. His hikes across single-carriageway roads, the Devon leg across the Moors, took almost five hours !
His excellent glovework was perfect for cricket. He played as a batsman/wicketkeeper for Waterlooville for two decades or more and in his latter years led the Ville to the Southern League Second XI Championship title in 1986.
He ran the Truants midweek side which hosted touring teams at Rowlands Avenue and was a key member of the Petersville side which, in the early 1970s, broke a Southampton club stranglehold by winning the County Ground Knockout at Northlands Road.
After hanging up his wicketkeeping gloves, Dyke turned his attentions to golf and for 15 years was a member at Waterlooville Golf Club, representing them in inter-club fixtures.
Away from sport, he managed the TAV staff agency in Havant for many years.
Keith's funeral is at Portchester on Tuesday (1pm) and afterwards in the Bat & Ball PH at Hambledon.