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Dixie Dean
Former
Player Profile
William Ralph Dean (January 22, 1907-March 1, 1980), popularly
known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player, one of the
most prolific centre forwards in English football history, who is
best known for his exploits at Everton. As a centre-forward he
was a truly outstanding player, and a real legend of the game.
His dribbling, running and shooting were all exceptional, but his
rare talent was for headers - Dixie was known as one of most
remarkable headers the game has ever seen.
Born in Birkenhead, Merseyside, Dean initially played for his
local club, Tranmere Rovers, before moving to Everton for a fee
of £3,000 in 1925, and immediately made an impact, scoring 32
goals in his first full season.
Despite a serious motorcycle accident in 1926, in which he
suffered a fractured skull and jaw, Dean fully recovered and went
on to greater success at the club. He is still the only player in
English football to have scored 60 League goals in one season
(1927/28); in the same season Everton won the Division One title.
Although Everton were relegated to Division Two in 1930, Dean
stayed with them, and the club subsequently won the Second
Division in 1931, followed by the First Division again in 1932,
and the FA Cup in 1933.
By then, Dean was captain of the side. However, the harsh
physical demands of the game took their toll, and he was dropped
from the first team in 1937. Dean went on to play for Notts
County and then Sligo Rovers in Ireland. After retiring, he went
on to run a pub and work as a security manager for Littlewoods.
In total, Dean scored a
total of 383 goals for Everton, in 433 appearances, an
exceptional strike-rate. With modern scoring rates being much
lower, both that record, and the record of 60 League goals in a
season, are unlikely to ever be broken. He was also known as a
very professional player, having never been booked or sent off
throughout his entire career.
Only Arthur Rowley has scored more English league career goals,
although it should be noted that while Rowley made 619
appearances, scoring 434 goals, Dean scored 349 goals in 348
games, and while Dean spent one prolific season in the Second
Division, that was all, while Rowley spent several seasons in the
third and fourth divisions.
He also made 16 appearances for England, scoring 18 goals.
His nickname "Dixie" is said to have been given to him
by fans due to his dark complexion and curly black hair, which
was, in their perception, similar to that of African-Americans in
the Southern United States. Dean himself deeply disliked the
moniker, preferring to be known as Bill.
Dean died from a heart attack in 1980 at Goodison Park, Everton's
home ground, whilst watching a match against their closest
rivals, Liverpool. In 2001, a statue of Dean was erected outside
the Park End of the stadium. In 2002 Dean became an Inaugural
Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame.
