W.R. Dean

[Joey66]

It's great to hear this account from a first hand witness of the great man, Joey.

I have three autobiographies on the great man you plonker ....

 

[Joey66]

"All he ever did was score."

My granddad's appraisal. He also said he was the best centre forward he'd seen.

He took my dad into the Dublin Packet to see him when they were off to Wales. Apparently a real gentleman and always happy to meet a young blue.

If I had a time machine and could watch only one player in his pomp, it would be William Ralph Dean.

My great Grandfather told me he was far better than Tommy Lawton - his edge, his heading ability - Plus Dixie coached Tommy when he first arrived ....
I had a great uncle who went to the famous 60 goal game v Arsenal where Dixie needed a hat trick to hit his 60 goal target - Charles Buchan was well cheesed off as it was his final game for Arsenal - he wanted the limelight - in a 3-3 draw - we were already Champions !

 

[Joey66]

I read somewhere that he and Dixie were good mates

The lunch was at Goodison, & he went in his slippers a certain Bill Shankly gave a speech to state Dixie was the finest no 9 ever - the era when Shankly came to Goodison on a regular basis .....after his fall-out with the other lot ....

 

[Bluebonic]

My great Grandfather told me he was far better than Tommy Lawton - his edge, his heading ability - Plus Dixie coached Tommy when he first arrived ....
I had a great uncle who went to the famous 60 goal game v Arsenal where Dixie needed a hat trick to hit his 60 goal target - Charles Buchan was well cheesed off as it was his final game for Arsenal - he wanted the limelight - in a 3-3 draw - we were already Champions !

An old neighbour my mam used to look after always told me Tommy Lawton was the better footballer. He said Tommy had everything you would want a striker to have except one, he wasn't Dixie Dean He also said that if you look at Tommy’s record, and consider he lost five years or so of his career to the 2nd world war, he would have been there or thereabouts goal tally wise.

 

[Exeter_Gently]

Out of all the Dixie Dean autobiographies - this I feel is the best written - the author died part way writing the text , but people helping him had his transcripts to help the book to be concluded - a great read on the great man -

William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. Dean holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season in top-flight English football, with 60. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 -

Born in Birkenhead, he began his career at his hometown club Tranmere Rovers, before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child. A prolific goalscorer, he was particularly known for having a penchant for scoring goals with his head, courtesy of his elevation and athleticism, as well as his powerful and accurate heading ability, which has led pundits to describe him as one of the greatest aerial specialists of all time.

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My grandad treasured this book...I got after he passed away.

My grandad told me when he was a lad he used to sell chocolate inside the ground he said he never sold much to the punters because he was to busy watching Dixie.

Amazing really...my grandad was born in 1917 died in 1998 and supported Everton all this life...Dixie was his hero throughout his life.

We're a special club.

 

[Joey66]

An old neighbour my mam used to look after always told me Tommy Lawton was the better footballer. He said Tommy had everything you would want a striker to have except one, he wasn't Dixie Dean He also said that if you look at Tommy’s record, and consider he lost five years or so of his career to the 2nd world war, he would have been there or thereabouts goal tally wise.

Joe Mercer sided with Dixie Dean as being the greatest over his heading ability ..... Tommy was a great CF - but money driven & a lady's man - drove him to bankruptcy & did jail time .... My late Grandfather stated no comparison as Dixie was a team player too....
Tommy blew his career by leaving us - he stated it was over divorcing his wife personal reasons etc he always ran with his head down looking for £ notes even played in the lower league to get extra money ...