29 May 1940 – 6 April 2024
Sunderland: 30 May 1957 - 27 August 1965
SAFC career 40 appearances / 3 goals.
Club historian Rob Mason pays tribute:
Dickie Rooks passed away on 6 April 2024, the morning of Sunderland’s recent match with Bristol City. He was 83. Rooks had ended his league career with 96 appearances for Bristol City having begun with 40 games for his home town club, Sunderland. In between he made 150 appearances for Middlesbrough for whom he once scored a hat trick as a centre-forward, although he spent most of his career as a centre half where at Sunderland he understudied Charlie Hurley. Rooks signed for another legend in Raich Carter when he moved to Middlesbrough in the summer of 1965, later playing under the guidance of his old Sunderland teammate Stan Anderson.
Following his retirement from the professional game, Rooks returned to the North East to become player/manager of Willington. He then managed Hadleigh United in the Ipswich League before becoming manager of Scunthorpe United in December 1974. Rather exotically, Dickie then proceeded to coach on the East African island of Zanzibar before becoming an FA coach back in the north east of England and becoming a self-employed builder.
Fondly remembered by all those who saw him play for Sunderland, Dickie Rooks was always reliable in red and white.