I'm dedicating this blog to an old colleague, Pat Francis, a footballer, coach, manager, scout and "bon vivre", who is fighting for the future benefit of his home club, village side, Ringmer FC. Remember them playing in the FA Cup?? managed by Pat in the First Round proper 1970-1, their big run was halted, away at Colchester 3-0. They had previously beaten Sussex clubs, Arundel, Chichester, Bognor Regis and then Hampshire club, Waterlooville, becoming the first "village club" in modern history, to go this far in the World's oldest Cup competition.
https://dixiedeanhotel.co.uk/blog/the-best-dixie-dean-videos-a-legend-in-action/
You may notice, today, a new development in this Blog, with the introduction of "Sage Green". Enjoy it! I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate the author of Sage Green, by letting you enjoy his favourite club's legend, Everton and England centre forward, Dixie Dean. Some may say "Who he?", shame on you. Any self respecting football fan will know about this pre-Second World War footballer.
There is an advert for the Merseyside, Dixie Dean Hotel, https://dixiedeanhotel.co.uk/ one hotel of a cleverly themed hotel chain, one of which I have already tested out, at The Shankly, in Liverpool, of course. Worth every penny, waking up in the morning after the night before, looking up to the ceiling, at the members of the Liverpool "Shankly" era support staff.
The Toffees had been Second Division champions in 1931, League Champions in 1932 and easy FA Cup winners in 1933. No wonder, with William Ralph "Dixie" Dean leading their line. Dean scored 473 goals in 502 games including 37 hat tricks. The "Royal Season", 1927-8, saw Dean, aged 21, score 60 league goals in 39 club games, a feat not to be beaten yet.
The 1933 Final, on April 23rd at Wembley, saw each player have a number on his back; Everton 1-11 and City 12-22 (no subs). By chance, Everton centre-forward, Dixie Dean, wore number 9 on his back.
By the way, as mentioned in previous posts, Dixie was an advertiser's "God", with his recognisable hair syle, something to attract the hair groomers.
On May 11th 1927, the England team played Belgium in a friendly in Brussells and won 9-1. Dixie Dean of Everton scored a hat trick and during that season he scored 12 goals in 7 matches against foreign opposition.
His total record for England was played 16 games and 18 goals, his career curtailed by War and curious international selection. Obviously not enough exposure for such a promising goal scorer.
Dixie hated his christian name and preferred to be known as Bill. After an horrific motorbike accident in 1926, he recovered to return to football after three months. His club total was 379 goals in 473 league games. On one occasion he sent the Liverpool goalkeeper a bottle of aspirins before derby games, wishing him a good night's sleep-"I'll keep you awake tomorrow", Dean quipped.
A motorcycle accident in 1926 caused him a fractured skull and broken jaw which should have ended his career, however, he recovered and continued taunting goalkeepers. But during his career, a collision caused him to have a testicle removed, after a particular nasty tackle and later he became a Freemason. These two events are not particularly linked. Dixie didn't let this set back stand in his way!
His final throws in football included turning out for Sligo Rovers, with whom he lost the FAI Cup Final in 1939. His runners' up medal was stolen from his hotel room afterwards and 39 years later when he was visiting Ireland, the medal was returned, anonimously! Dixie's last games were for Ashton United. His grandfather drove the Royal Train for George V, by the way.
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