Dean, William Ralph 'Dixie'. Born: 22nd January 1907, Position: Centre Forward Died: 1st March 1980 (while watching Everton play Liverpool at Goodison Park) (Tranmere Rovers, Everton, Notts County, Sligo Rovers (Ireland) and England)
Major Honours:   Relevant Career Statistics:  431 league appearances (399 for Everton), 16 England caps (18 goals), 377 League goals (349 for Everton). Admitted to the Hall of Fame: 1st February 2001 with 78% of the votes.
Roy of the Rovers References:
Internet Links: There is no specific web site dedicated to Dixie Dean, but the links below do give further information on the great man The profile of Dixie Dean on the Internet's best and free encyclopaedia. This page also give links to other references to this hall of famer. Sportcartoons -  A 'toon tribute to Dixie Great Britain XI - Dixie chosen for an all time Great Britain XI on the World XI website!  Football Statisticians Website - Dixie will always be a must for the statisticians. An excellent write up here!
Books: Simply called 'Dixie Dean'. In this book John Keith draws on his own previously unpublished taped interviews as well as interviews from BBC Radio Merseyside archives. He has also spoken to Dixie's two sons and his daughter, all of whom have co-operated fully. The book will be published to coincide with Everton FC's unveiling of a new statue of Dean of Goodison Park. This is a unique insight into the life of a footballing legend and features the Everton icon's own compelling account of his remarkable life and times.

In 1925 Everton made probably their best ever signing - they bought Tranmere Rovers' 18-year old center-forward William Ralph Dean. William Dean was known to dislike his nickname, "Dixie".  He preferred to be known as William or Bill.  It was given to him by his Everton team-mates on account of his very curly, wiry hair, like that of the black slaves of the American South.

Dixie's career with Everton was nearly over before it really started, when he was in a motorcycle accident on June 10th, 1926. He suffered a serious head injury, which threatened his life. He was unconscious for 36 hours, but he recovered in an amazingly short time, and returned with an instinct for goals even better than before the crash. Dean headed a goal in a reserve match against Huddersfield in October, 1926.

His remarkable record of 60 goals in one season is unlikely ever to be beaten. Calculating all the goals, including Cup-ties and English team matches, the "super forward" scored 82 goals in that 1927-28 season! Although Dean was virtually unbeatable in the air – many say he was the best ever -- he also knew how to shoot: he scored 40 of the league goals with his feet, so he "only" scored 20 with headers. An interesting fact is that Dean scored 31 goals in 15 away matches and 29 in 14 home matches. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Everton were Champions that season, but it is not for the fact that they finished top of Division One in 1927/28 that anybody remembers that campaign.  Going into the final match at home to Arsenal, Dean needed a hat-trick to take the League record away from Middlesbrough's George Camsell, who had scored 59 times in Division Two only a season previously.  Needless to say, he got it, to the delight of the Goodison crowd.

Dixie's overall record for Everton is fantastic, that 60-goal season the peak of a 13-year spell at the club following his signing from Tranmere Rovers in March 1925.  He won the League title in that record-breaking 1927/28 season, and was in the relegated side of two years later – still scoring 23 times in 25 games.  In 1930/31 Everton were promoted straight back to Division One on the strength of Dixie's 37 goals, and he also scored in 12 successive league matches – another unbeaten record!

The following season Dean was again rampant, notching 45 goals in his last truly prolific season.  Even afterwards he still scored at a very respectable rate. In 1932/33 he scored five goals in six games as Everton won the FA Cup, one of which in the Final as Manchester City were beaten 3-0.  By the time he left in 1938, joining Notts County, he was the club's leading goalscorer with a total of 377, scorer of the most hat-tricks for Everton (37) and he was also the highest scorer in the derby games with Liverpool with 19.

Sadly Dixie passed away in 1980 at Goodison aged 73, but two of his three records are still with him. The one lost is to that other Roy of the Rovers Hall of Famer Ian Rush who has now scored more goals in derbies, but some of them were in matches other than League and FA Cup meetings.  Barring a major change in the rules, it is unlikely that any player will ever score more than 60 goals in a League season.

There are several reasons why Dixie Dean achieved these almost superhuman feats. First of all, Dixie was unbeatable in the air, rising above the defenders to head the ball in the net either with great force or with perfect accuracy into the corners of the goal. He was also able to shoot very effectively with either foot. Thirdly, Dixie Dean's attitude was very good, he brimmed with confidence, never moaned to the refs, and his jokes helped raise the spirit in the team. Dixie was the captain and spiritual leader of the team.

After he finished playing football he took a pub, "The Dublin Packet", in 1946, which he gave up 15 years later and he went onto work for John Moores's pools empire as a security man. Finally retiring to Babington in 1971.

If ever there was a phenomenal goalscorer to match Roy of the Rovers it was Dixie Dean. He began his England career by scoring 2, 3, 2, 2 and 3 goals in successive games - real Roy of the Rovers stuff! A welcome addition to the Roy of the Rovers Hall of fame.