Biography
Forward and winger Alex Dyer joined the Tigers in February 1987 to add goals to the squad Brian Horton was building for the Second Division. He didn’t open his account for sixteen games, but started 1987/88 in fine form. In September 1987 the Tigers, comparatively downtrodden for many decades, beat Leeds United 2-0 at Elland Road thanks partly to a powerfully sinuous run and shot from Dyer. He ended the season injured as Brian Horton was hastily sacked after a bad run, and the following season Dyer was chosen for every game by Eddie Gray and showed form that led to a valuable transfer to Crystal Palace.
Born in leafy Forest Gate, a nicer part of the East End only a couple of miles from Upton Park, Dyer followed an unconventional footballing path for a Londoner. After a youth career at Watford Dyer signed for Blackpool and became a first team regular and star performer during his four years on the Fylde coast.
Dyer’s move to Crystal Palace in 1988 was not productive and he struggled for first team chances in a side that was promoted to the First Division in 1989. Lex moved to Charlton Athletic in 1990 where he regained his form and was a regular in a wide role. Subsequent moves saw Dyer move down the Leagues, culminating in two successful seasons at Notts County in his mid-30s where he was converted to ball-playing defender.
Dyer commenced his coaching career at West Ham United in 2004, and since then he has carved a reputation as an effective assistant manager with Charlton, Huddersfield (between 2011 and 2015, both under boss Chris Powell) and then Kilmarnock and the Scottish national side (between 2017 and 2019, under Steve Clarke). He also had two short spells as first team manager at non-League Welling United and Whitehawk. In December 2019 he returned to Kilmarnock to take the manager’s seat for the remainder of the season and kept the job until a collapse in form led to him vacating the post in January 2021. In June 2021 Dyer was appointed assistant manager at League Two side Colchester United, working with manager Hayden Mullins, but left the U’s in January 2022. He was immediately appointed assistant manager to Alan Pardew at Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia, but left that role in June 2022 after suffering racist abuse from fans. During the 2023/24 Alex worked part-time at Conference National side Bromley, assisting first team manager Andy Woodman. Bromley were elevated to League Two in May 2024 and in September 2024 Dyer joined the full-time coaching staff at Hayes Lane.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 14 November 1965, Forest Gate
Hull City First Game: 14 February 1987, Portsmouth A (Division Two), 21 years, 92 days old
Hull City Final Game: 5 November 1988, Swindon Town H (Division Two), 22 years, 357 days old
Clubs
Blackpool (1983-1987), Hull City (1987-1988), Crystal Palace (1988-1990), Charlton Athletic (1990-1993), Oxford United (1993-1995), Lincoln City (1995), Barnet (1995-1996), FC Maia (1996-1997), Huddersfield Town (1997-1998), Notts County (1998-2000), Kingstonian (2000-2001), Hayes (2001)
Hull City Record
Career: 66 apps, 15 goals
Alex DyerSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986/87 | 17 (0) | 4 | 1 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1987/88 | 27 (1) | 8 | 3 (0) | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
1988/89 | 15 (0) | 2 | - | - | 2 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - |