AFC Bournemouth has sent condolences to family and friends of former Cherries striker and commercial manager Dickie Dowsett, who died in a care home on Sunday, aged 88.

In a five-year spell at Cherries, the centre-forward made 184 appearances in all competitions, scoring 84 goals.

He notched 79 league goals in 169 matches between 1957 and 1962, making him the club’s sixth-highest all-time leading scorer.

Dickie, christened Gilbert, was signed by Cherries boss Freddie Cox from Southampton in the summer of 1957.

In a prolific stint with the Dorset club he finished as top goalscorer in three successive seasons and nearly fired the side to promotion in 1961/62 before joining Crystal Palace for £3,500 in November 1962.

His playing career saw him also feature for Tottenham Hotspur, Southend United, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Weymouth.

Dickie returned to Dean Court in 1968 as commercial manager. In this role he played a key part in altering the club’s crest and changing the club’s name from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic to AFC Bournemouth. Since 1971, bar a two-year spell with a crest of two intertwined cherries, a silhouette of Dickie heading the ball has featured on the crest.

Dickie’s family confirmed his death was not related to the coronavirus pandemic.