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Page Last Updated
2 January
2023 |
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"Footballer, Gentleman, Evertonian" |
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Billy
Dean |
Everton
FC
16
appearances,
18 goals, one missed penalty
P 16 W 10 D 1 L 5 F 48:
A 25
66% successful
1927-1932
captain:
none
minutes played: 1440 |
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Timeline |
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William Ralph Dean |
| |
Dixie; He was
nicknamed Dixie, because of his dark skin. Dixie was a reference to
the Deep South of America where so many black people lived. Dean,
despite his boisterous manner, was an intelligent and deep thinking man
and he thought Dixie was an insult - more to the Deep South than to him. He could not abide it. |
|
Birth |
22 January 1907 in 325 Laird Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire [registered in
Birkenhead, March 1907].
Attended Laird Street School and Albert
Memorial Industrial Borstal, both Birkenhead. |
|
Baptism |
3 March 1907 at St James' Church, Laird Street, Birkenhead |
,%20Bill.jpg) |
According to the 1911 census,
William is the youngest of six children and the only son to William and
Sarah Emma (née Brett). They live at 325 Laird Street in Birkenhead. His father is a loco
engineman. |
According to the
1921 census, William is an apprentice fitter for Wirral Railway and the
family, still the only son of six children now live at 313 Laird Street.
On 8 October 1930, in a court case against Dean, his
address was stated as being Wellesley Street in Birkenhead. He was charged
with dangerous driving on 21 August after he knocked down a woman who was
boarding a tramcar, of which he was aquitted |
Marriage
(left): to Ethel Fossard,
Sunday, 19 July 1931 at St James'
Church, Birkenhead
[registered in
Birkenhead, September 1931] They had four children, William J.
(1932), Geoffrey David (b.31 January 1935), Ralph L. (b.24 September 1936) and Barbara A.
(b.1945). Ethel died in 1974.
"William Ralph Dean, Everton and
England centre forward, took to himself a bride in Miss Ethel Fossard, at
St. James's Church, Birkenhead, early yesterday morning. After the
ceremony, and when the party had disentangled themselves from the close
attentions of their numerous well-wishers, they journeyed to Chester in
four motor-cars, arriving at the city about 10.15, where they partook of
the wedding breakfast at the Bars Hotel, the chef having provided a
beautiful wedding cake." -
Liverpool Echo, Monday, 20 July 1931 |
At Christmas 1933, Dean
was living at Caldy Road in Walton, when his prized possessions were
stolen, his international cap and a presentation clock.
According to the 1939 register, William, an ex-professional footballer, is
married to Ethel, and they are living at 193 Rutland Road in West
Bridgford. with two of their sons, Geoffrey and Ralph.
On 4
April 1940, Dean was summoned to court for non-payment of taxes on his
sports outfitters shop (opened in Birkenhead, July 1934). Now living at
New Ferry in Cheshire, he owed £22 1s. 5d.. The case was adjourned
to see if Dean could sell his business that had been making a loss since
the outbreak of war. |
|
Death |
1 March 1980 in the Main Stand at Goodison Park, Everton, aged 73
years 38
days
[registered in
Liverpool, March 1980]. Following a heart-attack, watching the
Merseyside Derby. Living at 2 Larkhill Avenue, Upton, at the time
Funeral at St. James' Church on Laird Street.
However, he is buried in St. Luke the Evangelist Churchyard in Silverdale,
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
|
Probate |
"DEAN, William Ralph
of 2 Larkhill Av Upton Wirral Mersey died 1 March 1980 Probate Liverpool 6 November £22940." |
|
Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990], Barrie
Williams'/Tom Lawton's "Get In There!" [2010] & |
|
Biographies |
Dixie
Dean: The Official Biography of a Goalscoring Legend - Nick Walsh
(Macdonald and Jane's, 1977)*.
Dixie Dean of Tranmere Rovers
1923-25 - Gilbert Upton (The Author, Southport 1992)#.
The Fabulous Dixie - Phil Thompson (Quarry, Wirral 1990)
Dixie Dean: The Inside Story of a Football Icon - John Keith
(Robson Books, 2003) |
|
*William Ralph Dean was one
of the game's greatest goal-scoring centre-forwards throughout the
twenties and thirties; In 1936 he topped Steve Bloomer's long-standing
scorer's record. Tranmere, Everton, Notts County and Sligo Rovers all
figure in his story.
#Dean made his
debut for Tranmere in 1923 at the age of 15. This biographical treatment
covers those early days before he achieved folk hero status at Everton.
- A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999). |
|
Playing Career |
,%20Bill.jpg) |
Played for Birkenhead Schools and Moreton Bible Class. Ehile he was an
apprentice fitter on the Wirral Railway, Dean played his junior football
with Heswall FC and Pensby Institution FC, from where
Tranmere Rovers FC signed him as a fifteen year old in November 1923,
originally as an amateur and scored 27 goals in thirty league
appearances. Despite interest from The Arsenal FC and Newcastle United
FC, Dean joined
Everton FC in March 1925 for £2500, and despite a bad motor-cycle
accident in Holywell in the 1926 spring, which fractured his skull, only
returning in the October, he would play 399 league matches, and score
an astonishing 349 goals. The New York Giants 'Soccer' team offered £10,000
for Dean in July 1928, offering £25 per week in wages. [Real] Madrid
CF even courted Dean's services in January 1932, again offering £25
per week. Even Burnley FC in September 1937 were rumored to be after him.
In all cases, Dean was not interested. Dean was eventually transferred to Notts County FC on 11 March
1938 for a £3000 fee. After struggling with an ankle injury, he had his registration cancelled by Notts County FC in early January 1939
after nine league games and three goals. Instead of giving up un
football, he then accepted an offer to sign
for Sligo Rovers FC on 20 January 1939. In the meantime, however, County
still owed £1000 of the original transfer fee, so on 1 February 1939, after
the Notts club had sent deputation, Everton allowed a £500 rebate. Which was duly
paid. Dean made seven Irish league appearances, scoring ten goals.
He finished his career in the Cheshire County League with Hurst FC on 23
July 1939, after which he retired, totaling 379 goals in 437 league
outings. He had had numerous operations on his ankle, removing
loose bone. |
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Club honours |
Football League Champions
1927-28, 1931-32; FA Charity Shield winners 1928, 1932;
Football League Division Two winners 1930-31; FA Cup
winners 1932-33; FAI Cup runners-up 1938-39;
League of Ireland runners-up 1938-39; |
|
Individual honours |
Football League
(six appearances, nine goals);
Sunday Pictorial Trophy
(for scoring sixty league goals) 1927-28;
Lewis's Medal (for scoring 200 league goals)
1931; Hall of Fame Trophy 1971; FWA
Silver Salver 1976; National Football Museum Hall of Fame
2002; |
|
Distinctions |
Holder of the Football League seasonal scoring record
(sixty in 1926-27).
In 1928, Dean
fronted an advertising campaign for Wix Cigarettes.
His statue
(left) was unveiled outside Goodison Park in May 2001. |
|
Height/Weight |
5' 10½", 12st
7lb. [1928 to 1930]. |
| |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of five
who became 512th
player (515) to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Centre-forward |
|
First match |
No. 152, 12 February 1927, Wales 3 England 3,
a British Championship match at The Racecourse, Mold Road, Wrexham, aged
20
years 21 days. |
|
Last match |
No. 182, 17 October 1932, England 1 Ireland
0, a
British Championship
match at
Bloomfield
Road, Revoe, Blackpool, aged 25 years
269 days; |
|
Major tournaments |
British Championship 1926-27, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1930-31, 1932-33; |
|
Team honours |
British Championship shared 1926-27, 1930-31; |
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Individual honours |
England's Top Goalscorer
1926-27 (12 (=record)), 1927 (12(=record)), 1927-28 (4), 1928 (5); |
|
Distinctions |
Dean was the youngest player to score their first ten goals
(until 2005), and
but certainly the quickest, taking just 98 days to so.
He is also the quickest
to reach the 15 goal milestone, taking just a year
and 96 days. |
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Beyond England |
|
Dean was obliged by ill-health to give
up his employment as a Chester licensee, The Dublin Packet, in 1962, after
which he worked for the Littlewoods Pools.
In November 1976, due to his declining health, Dean had his right leg
amputated because of a blood clot. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.85/86. |
|
The Numbers |
|
parties |
Apps |
comp. apps |
unused |
mins |
|
goals ave.min |
comp.
goals |
 |
 |
 |
|
tbc |
16 |
10 |
0 |
1440 |
18 |
80
min |
5 |
0 |
tbc |
none |
1 |
|
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors. |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
pts% |
W/L |
|
16 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
48 |
25 |
+23 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1.563 |
65.6 |
+5 |
When The 18
Goals
Were Scored
|
0-5 |
6-10 |
11-15 |
16-20 |
21-25 |
26-30 |
31-35 |
36-40 |
41-ht |
ht-50 |
51-55 |
56-60 |
61-65 |
66-70 |
71-75 |
76-80 |
81-85 |
86-90 |
injury |
extra |
|
time |
| 0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
12 |
0 |
Venue Record
|
Venue |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
pts% |
W/L |
|
Home |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
9 |
+3 |
0 |
1 |
2.40 |
1.80 |
60.0 |
+1 |
|
Away |
11 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
36 |
16 |
+20 |
3 |
1 |
3.273 |
1.455 |
68.2 |
+4 |
Competition Record
|
Competition |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
British Championship |
10 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
19 |
-6 |
3 |
1 |
1.30 |
1.90 |
45.0 |
-1 |
| Friendly |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
35 |
6 |
+29 |
0 |
1 |
5.833 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+6 |
Tournament Record
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1926-27 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
+1 |
0 |
0 |
2.50 |
2.00 |
75.0 |
+1 |
|
BC 1927-28 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
-7 |
1 |
0 |
0.667 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
-3 |
|
BC 1928-29 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
+1 |
1 |
0 |
1.667 |
1.333 |
66.7 |
+1 |
|
BC 1930-31 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
BC 1932-33 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
+1 |
0 |
1 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
|
BC All |
10 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
19 |
-6 |
3 |
1 |
1.30 |
1.90 |
45.0 |
-1 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
10 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
19 |
-6 |
3 |
1 |
1.30 |
1.90 |
45.0 |
-1 |
|
10 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
13 |
19 |
-6 |
3 |
1 |
1.30 |
1.90 |
45.0 |
-1 |
Match History
|
Club:
Everton F.C.
- 16 full appearances (1440 min) 18ᵍ |
F.A. International Selection Committee - 16 full appearances
(1440 min) 18ᵍx
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|
apps |
match |
pic |
match details |
comp |
res. |
rundown |
shirt |
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 cg |
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