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Dalian Atkinson

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Dalian Atkinson
Atkinson in 2008
Personal information
Full name Dalian Robert Atkinson[1]
Date of birth 21 March 1968
Place of birth Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England[2]
Date of death 15 August 2016(2016-08-15) (aged 48)
Place of death Telford, Shropshire, England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1989 Ipswich Town 60 (18)
1989–1990 Sheffield Wednesday 38 (10)
1990–1991 Real Sociedad 29 (12)
1991–1995 Aston Villa 85 (25)
1995–1997 Fenerbahçe 21 (10)
1996 → Metz (loan) 0 (0)
1996–1997 → Manchester City (loan) 8 (2)
1997–1999 Al-Ittihad
2001 Daejeon Hana Citizen 1 (0)
2001 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4 (0)
Total 246+ (75+)
International career
1990 England B 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dalian Robert Atkinson (21 March 1968 – 15 August 2016) was an English professional footballer who played as a striker.

During his club football career, he played in England for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City, winning the Football League Cup at Villa in 1994 where he also played in the Premier League. He also played in Spain for Real Sociedad, in France for Metz, in Turkey for Fenerbahçe, in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ittihad, and in South Korea for Daejeon Hana Citizen and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He was capped once at England B level, scoring a goal in that single appearance.

Atkinson died on 15 August 2016. He was near his father's house in Trench, Telford, where he had grown up. Officers of West Mercia Police, who had responded to a call, fired a taser at him and one officer kicked him in the head. Atkinson went into cardiac arrest. The police officer who killed him was later found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison.[3]

Club career

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Early career

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Atkinson first came to prominence at Ipswich Town as a teenager, impressing seasoned experts with his speed and daring, which included a hat-trick against a Middlesbrough side containing Gary Pallister and future Ipswich captain Tony Mowbray at the heart of their defence, in the 1987–88 season.[4]

In 1989, manager Ron Atkinson (no relation) brought him to Sheffield Wednesday for £450,000 where he formed a fine front partnership with David Hirst for a single season.[5] He was an ever-present in the league for Sheffield Wednesday in his only season there, scoring 10 goals but being unable to prevent them from being relegated.[6]

After relegation he was sold to Real Sociedad for £1.7 million.[7] The San Sebastián-based team had recently broken a tradition of only signing local players in order to bring fellow British players John Aldridge and Kevin Richardson to the club,[8] making Atkinson their third foreigner and also the first black player in their history.[9][10] He was nicknamed El txipiron (The squid) by Sociedad fans during the 1990–91 season.[11] His team did not have a good year, although Atkinson made a good contribution over the season, scoring 12 goals in La Liga.[11] Atkinson was racially abused by opposition fans during his time in Spain.[12]

Aston Villa

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Atkinson joined Aston Villa for £1.6 million in July 1991,[13] and became one half of another impressive partnership alongside Dean Saunders, when Saunders arrived from Liverpool a year after Atkinson arrived there from Real Sociedad.[14] The partnership was broken up in 1995 when both players were sold to Turkish clubs – Saunders to Galatasaray and Atkinson to Fenerbahçe for £1.7 million.[15]

On 15 August 1992, Atkinson scored Villa's first ever Premier League goal, a 84-minute equaliser in a 1–1 away draw against Ipswich Town. He is probably most often remembered for his magnificent solo goal against Wimbledon in a 3–2 away win on 3 October 1992, which won Match of the Day's Goal of the Season award for the 1992–93 season,[16] the first season of the new FA Premier League, when Villa finished runners-up.[10] Starting deep in the Aston Villa half of the pitch with a one-touch trap from a lofted ball that immediately took him away from a defending player, Atkinson then skipped past two more Wimbledon players and, pausing briefly as he reached the edge of the opposition penalty area, produced a delicately arched chip-shot that floated over the rushing goalkeeper.[16][17] That goal's celebration is still to this day well remembered by Aston Villa fans, on that rainy day fan Martin Pritchard had the impulse to jump from his seat, walk onto the field, and hold his umbrella up over the players.[18] Atkinson also had the distinction of scoring Villa's first Premier League goal, when he scored their late equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Ipswich on the opening day of the season.[19]

Atkinson is remembered by Aston Villa fans for his goal in the 1994 League Cup final win against Manchester United,[20] and that he scored twice in the semi-finals against Tranmere Rovers (once in the first leg and once in the second).[21]

Later career

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Atkinson missed Villa's departure for a 1994 pre-season tour of South Africa because of what was described as "personal problems." When Ron Atkinson left and was replaced as manager by Brian Little, he fell out of favour. In July 1995, Atkinson arrived in Istanbul to agree a deal with Fenerbahçe S.K.[22] Atkinson failed to settle in Turkey and had loan spells with Metz and Manchester City.[23] Atkinson left the club in 1997 and ended his career with stints in Saudi Arabia and South Korea, finally retiring as a player in 2001.[23]

International career

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Atkinson represented the England B side in a friendly 4–1 loss against Republic of Ireland B on 27 March 1990. He scored England's only goal in the game.[20]

Personal life

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Following the end of his professional football career, Atkinson returned to Telford where he ultimately lived at Little Dawley. Atkinson formed a sports consultancy for clubs, players and agents called "Players Come First" however the business was dissolved in November 2015.[24]

Death

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In his last years his health suffered with heart and kidney problems.[25] Atkinson died on 15 August 2016 after being tasered by police near his father's house in Trench, Telford.[26] Police had responded to a call as Atkinson threatened to kill his father, Ernest. Atkinson's older brother Kenroy said "My brother had lost it. He was in a manic state and depressed – out of his mind and ranting. He had a tube in his shoulder for the dialysis and he had ripped it out and was covered in blood. He got dad by the throat and said he was going to kill him. He told dad he had already killed me, our brother Paul and sister Elaine and he had come for him."[27] Officers deployed a taser three times, the first two being ineffective; after being successfully tasered and kicked in the head by a police officer, Atkinson sustained cardiac arrest on the way to the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, where he was pronounced dead at about 03:00.[16][26][28] He was 48.[29] The incident was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.[30]

His former manager at Wednesday and Villa, Ron Atkinson, called the incident an "out-and-out tragedy" and noted that Dalian "had terrific ability".[31][32] Dalian Atkinson's Humanist funeral took place at Telford Crematorium on 19 November 2016, followed by interment of his ashes at Hadley Cemetery.[25]

Aftermath

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In November 2019, one police officer was charged with murder in connection with Atkinson's death; another was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.[33] Both officers were due to stand trial in September 2020 but because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the trial was delayed until April 2021.[34]

On 26 April 2021, PC Benjamin Monk, who was charged with murder, pleaded not guilty.[35] On 4 May, prosecutors said that Monk pressed the trigger of the taser for 33 seconds, exceeding the protocol of five seconds, before kicking Atkinson twice in the head after he fell to the ground.[28] The defence barrister of his co-defendant said that the actions were "necessary and reasonable as part of [their] continuing efforts to restrain and detain an unpredictable and threateningly violent man as she perceived him to be".[36]

Monk was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter on 23 June 2021.[3] The jury failed to reach a verdict on the other police officer, Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith's, assault charge.[37] On 29 June, Monk was given an eight-year prison sentence. This was the first time in over 30 years that a serving police officer had been convicted of manslaughter in the course of duties.[38] It was later disclosed that Monk had been found guilty of gross misconduct by West Mercia Police in 2011 for not declaring two police cautions in his application to join the police; he had stolen from his previous employer in 1997 and been found drunk in 1999.[39] On 2 July, prosecutors announced that they would seek a retrial in the case of the other officer's assault charge.[40]

On 28 September 2022, Bettley-Smith was cleared of the assault charge.[41] Bettley-Smith was accused of gross misconduct and faced a disciplinary panel held by West Mercia Police in March 2023.[42] After Atkinson had been tasered, he was lying on the ground, and Bettley-Smith hit Atkinson three times with her baton. Bettley-Smith's lawyer said that Bettley-Smith behaved "as she was trained to do",[42] and that "she showed bravery under extreme pressure and was in no way responsible for the tragic outcome."[42]

On 17 March 2023, Bettley-Smith was found guilty of gross misconduct for using excessive force. The tribunal found three initial strikes before Monk kicked Mr Atkinson were "lawful" but it found PC Bettley-Smith decision to then hit him a further three times, after police back-up had arrived was "unnecessary disproportionate and unreasonable". Despite being found guilty of gross misconduct, Bettley-Smith was allowed to keep her job as a police officer.[43]

Honours

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Aston Villa

Fenerbahçe

References

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  1. ^ "Player Details: Dalian Robert Atkinson". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  2. ^ Dalian Atkinson at Soccerbase
  3. ^ a b "Dalian Atkinson: PC guilty of former footballer's manslaughter". BBC News. BBC. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Tributes paid to former Ipswich Town star Dalian Atkinson, reported dead after being Tasered by police". Ipswich Star. 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Ex-Sheffield Wednesday star Dalian Atkinson dies after police hit him with Taser". Yorkshire Post. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Season 1989–90". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  7. ^ "PFA shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of Dalian Atkinson". www.thepfa.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  8. ^ Goals, class, a red Ferrari: Aldridge, Richardson and Atkinson at la Real, Sid Lowe, The Guardian, 25 February 2021
  9. ^ Urretavizcaya, Oscar (1 August 1990). "La Real Sociedad ficha a Atkinson, su tercer extranjero" [Real Sociedad sign Atkinson, their third foreigner]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b Weaver, Matthew; Dodd, Vikram (15 August 2016). "Former footballer Dalian Atkinson dies after police shoot him with Taser". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  11. ^ a b "El ex realista Dalian Atkinson muere tras un incidente con la policía". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  12. ^ Kennedy, Peter; Kennedy, David (2017). Fan Culture in European Football and the Influence of Left Wing Ideology. Taylor & Francis. p. 151. ISBN 9781351668354. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  13. ^ Adams, Tom (15 August 2016). "Former Villa star Dalian Atkinson dies after being tasered by police". Eurosport UK. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Relive the striker's greatest moments in an Aston Villa shirt". Birmingham Mail. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  15. ^ Ridley, Ian (13 August 1995). "Club-by-club guide: The prospects, the players to watch, the arrivals and departures". The Independent. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  16. ^ a b c "Dalian Atkinson dies after being Tasered in Telford by police". BBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  17. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Former Aston Villa striker's 1992 goal of the season". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  18. ^ "'Who are ya?' - the brilliant story behind that iconic Villa moment". 2 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Milestone moments in run to 1,000 Premier League goals". Aston Villa F.C. 24 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  20. ^ a b c "Dalian Atkinson, former Aston Villa striker, 'dies after Taser shot'". Sky Sports. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Aston Villa: Who remembers this classic game 22 years ago?". Birmingham Mail. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  22. ^ Menary, Steve. "The Life and Times of Dalian Atkinson: A Great Talent Unfulfilled". Bleacher Report.
  23. ^ a b Bonesteel, Matt (15 August 2016). "Former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson dies after getting Tased by police in England". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  24. ^ "Dalian Atkinson". 17 September 2015.
  25. ^ a b "Charismatic Dalian enriched our lives". Shropshire Star. 21 November 2016. p. 4.Report by Lisa O'Brien, published following his funeral.
  26. ^ a b "Ex-Villa Star Dies in Taser Shooting". Shropshire Star. 16 August 2016. p. 1.Special Report by Jordan Reynolds and Mark Andrews.
  27. ^ "Ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson threatened to kill his father before being tasered by police, brother reveals". The Daily Telegraph. 16 August 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Dalian Atkinson murder trial: Ex-footballer Tasered and 'kicked'". BBC News. 4 May 2021.
  29. ^ Gibbons, Brett (15 August 2016). "Ex-Villa star Dalian Atkinson dies after being Tasered by police". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  30. ^ "Incident referred to IPCC following death of man in Telford". Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  31. ^ Dickens, James (15 August 2016). "Dalian Atkinson was 'threatening and very upset' prior to police tazer death says father". Yahoo. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  32. ^ "Latest updates on Atkinson death". BBC News. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  33. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Police officer charged with footballer murder". BBC News. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  34. ^ Dalian Atkinson: Coronavirus delays murder-accused PC's trial, BBC, 20 July 2020
  35. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Police officer denies murdering former footballer". BBC News. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  36. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Footballer 'threatened to take PC to the gates of hell'". BBC Sport. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  37. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Jury fails to reach decision about second officer". BBC News. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  38. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: PC Benjamin Monk jailed for ex-footballer's death". BBC Sport. 29 June 2021.
  39. ^ Gillespie, Tom (30 June 2021). "Dalian Atkinson: PC Benjamin Monk had been found guilty of gross misconduct before killing former Premier League footballer". Sky News. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  40. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Retrial ordered for PC on footballer assault charge". BBC News. 2 July 2021.
  41. ^ "Dalian Atkinson: Officer cleared of assaulting killed ex-footballer". BBC News. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  42. ^ a b c "PC who struck footballer Dalian Atkinson acted 'bravely'". BBC News. 13 March 2023.
  43. ^ "PC who hit ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson guilty of gross misconduct". BBC News. 17 March 2023.
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