Date / Year of birth: 17th March 1961

Position: Centre-back

Season of first appearance: 1995/96

Season of last appearance: 1999/00

Also played for: Erith & Belvedere, Gravesend & Northfleet, Tonbridge and Dover Athletic

Classy 6' 0" tall defender born in Stockwell, London who started his career as a junior with Erith & Belvedere and progressed to their first team during the 1983/84 season. Tony's brother Peter was also a member of the Deres' squad at the time.

Towards the end of the 1984/85 campaign Tony joined Gravesend & Northfleet but quickly moved on to Tonbridge and finished the season there.

During the 1985/86 campaign Tony scored ten goals as a striker for Tonbridge and on 23.8.86 he was sent off in a 2-1 defeat against Thanet United at Hartsdown Park. He stayed with the Angels until February 1988 when he signed for Dover.

Tony went on to play over 400 games in a very successful spell with Dover and during the 1992/93 season he was called up for England's semi-professional squad for a game against Wales but didn't play. On 2.5.94 he was bizarrely booked for pulling Margate captain Phil Handford's headband off as Dover went down 2-0 to Margate in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium and during the 1994/95 campaign Tony played once for Gravesend & Northfleet in a brief loan spell there. He left Dover at the end of that season and on 5.8.95 Charlton visited Crabble in a testimonial match for Tony. A few days later he signed for Margate.

Tony made his debut in a 3-1 defeat at Trowbridge on 19.8.95, the opening day of the 1995/96 campaign, and the Thanet Times said he "did well in the centre of the visiting defence". From then on Tony was a fixture in the Margate side and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "outstanding" during a 1-0 win over Erith & Belvedere at Hartsdown on 22.8.95. The Thanet Times said he was "impressive" in a 1-0 home defeat against Waterlooville on 26.8.95 and "starred" in a 2-0 win at Fisher on 4.11.95. On 11.11.95 Tony scored his first goal for Margate in a 2-1 win over Yate at Hartsdown and by then his calm authoritative displays had firmly established him as a favourite with Margate supporters. After a 1-0 home win over Weston-Super-Mare on 17.2.96 the Times called Tony a "model of consistency" and on 20.4.96 he got the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 win over Trowbridge at Hartsdown. The Thanet Times said he was "immaculate" in a 2-0 win over visitors Fareham the next day and Tony finished the season having scored twice in 49 appearances.

He started the 1996/97 campaign as Margate's captain and had another excellent season. The Thanet Times said Tony was "outstanding" in a 3-1 win at Yate on 23.11.96 and "made many timely interceptions". He was ever-present in the number six shirt until traffic problems led to him arriving late for a Southern League Cup tie at St.Leonards Stamcroft on 11.12.96. Tony wasn't at the ground at kick-off time but ended up appearing as a half-time substitute. He was suspended for two matches in February 1997 but after that Tony didn't miss a game and the Thanet Times reported that he "never put a foot wrong" in a 0-0 draw at Trowbridge on 1.3.97. In total he made 46 appearances (one as sub) during the season and scored five goals.

Tony retained the captaincy for the 1997/98 campaign and the Thanet Times said he was "commanding" during a 3-0 home win over Witney on 23.8.97. He enjoyed a good start to the season but on 7.9.97 he was sent off in the closing minutes of a 1-0 defeat at Waterlooville after a late tackle on their player-manager Billy Gilbert. Tony had to serve a three match ban for his dismissal. The Thanet Times said he was a "pillar of strength" during a 3-2 win over Waterlooville at Hartsdown Park on 8.11.97 and Tony got one of the Margate goals. Eight days later - on 16.11.97 - he played as Margate lost 2-1 at home to Fulham in an FA Cup 1st Round tie that was screened live on Sky Sports.

On 29.11.97 Tony scored an own goal in a 2-2 draw at Corby and in January 1998 he served a two match suspension as a result of bookings he'd picked up. He celebrated his 37th birthday on 17.3.98 and marked the occasion by scoring in a 2-1 win over Fleet at Hartsdown Park. The Isle of Thanet Gazette wryly noted "the evergreen Dixon was reluctant afterwards to reveal his precise age, but like the good professional he is did admit to being at least 27".

On 7.4.98 he was in the side that beat Redditch 2-0 in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Hartsdown Park and Tony also played in the 2nd Leg on 21.4.98 which the home side won 1-0 thanks to an own goal from him. However the result meant that Margate claimed the trophy with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Tony rounded off a great campaign by scoring the only goal of the game as Margate won 1-0 at Gravesend & Northfleet to secure the Kent Senior Cup on 4.5.98. He made a total of 59 appearances during the season (one as sub) and scored six goals.

Tony was Margate's captain again for the 1998/99 campaign and he enjoyed another excellent season. Tony was a major attacking threat from dead-ball situations and on 29.8.98 he headed his first goal in a 2-2 draw at Raunds. Tony scored four more goals with his head from free-kicks and corners, often delivered by Eliot Martin, before the end of November and on 28.11.98 he found the net with what the Thanet Times called a "typically robust header" in a 6-0 home win over Corby. Tony only missed one of Margate's 50 games and took his goal tally to an impressive ten before the end of a campaign that saw Margate win promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. In May 1999 manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He's older than me ! Tony plans to play on as long as he can. He says he's enjoying it".

Tony was consistent as usual during the early months of the 1999/00 season and scored his first goal of the campaign in an FA Cup tie at Taunton on 2.10.99 that Margate won 3-0. The Thanet Times said he was "as composed as ever" during a 0-0 draw at Croydon on 9.10.99 and in its report on a 2-0 home win over Atherstone on 18.12.99 the paper described Tony and Bill Edwards as being a "formidable central defensive pairing". Tony got one of the goals that day and played in each of the season's first 28 games before being rested for a Southern League Cup tie against Baldock on 21.12.99.

On 3.1.00 he scored a second half winner as Margate beat Crawley 1-0 at Hartsdown Park despite playing for almost an hour with ten men after Paul Sykes was sent off. The Thanet Times said Tony turned in a "captain's performance". He jokingly told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "I've saved Margate plenty of times" and added "I was especially pleased with the result because it was ten against 11 but it didn't look like that at all". On 15.1.00 Tony played as an emergency striker in a game at Boston but had to go off with a neck injury as Margate lost 3-0 and missed the next three matches as a result. He resumed his duties in the number six shirt after recovering but following a 4-3 win at Merthyr on 11.3.00 Tony lost his place in the side to Iain O'Connell and didn't start any of the next seven games although he did make two sub appearances. He returned to the starting line-up for a 2-0 home win over Salisbury on 24.4.00 wearing the unfamiliar number eight shirt and then wore four in Margate's next two matches, scoring in a 2-1 win at Ilkeston on 1.5.00. On 6.5.00 Tony was back in his traditional number six shirt as Margate entertained Halesowen and the switch to his preferred number may have been a deliberate ploy as the game turned out to be the last of his glittering non-league career. Margate won 3-0 to send Tony into retirement on a high note aged 39. He'd made 46 appearances (two as sub) during the season and scored five goals - all as a result of set pieces. In its review of the campaign the Thanet Times said Tony was "still a huge influence".

During the 1990's he did some summer coaching in the USA and in 2008 Tony sometimes turned out for a Tonbridge veterans team along with the likes of former Margate full-back Brian Frampton.

During the 2009/10 season Tony played for Dover's veterans team and on 12.5.12 he featured in Bill Edwards' testimonial match at Margate. Tony was 51 by then and making his first appearance at Hartsdown Park for just over 12 years

His nephew Nathan Thomas played for clubs including Grays during the early 2000's. Nathan was in the Grays side that beat Margate 2-0 in an FA Cup tie on 27.10.01.