Dalian Atkinson

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]

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]

Atkinson 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]

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]

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]

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]