Alright. Get your boots on, grab a cuppa, and take a knee — because today we’re talking about a lad who didn’t just play football… he rewrote the rules of it.
His name?
William Ralph Dean.
But we all know him as Dixie — born right here in Birkenhead in 1907 — and possibly the greatest centre-forward this country’s ever seen.
🧒 From the Streets of Birkenhead to Blue Shirt Glory
Before the fans, before the medals, and before his face was on murals and match programmes, Dixie was just a young scally from the Wirral kicking a ball about in the back streets.
The kind of kid who probably used jumpers for goalposts and turned lampposts into defenders.
He played for Pensby School, and then for Tranmere Rovers — his local club. And let me tell you, he wasn’t just good — he was ridiculous. Strong as a dockworker, brave as a nan in Wickes, and able to leap higher than the corner flag.
By the time Everton came knocking, the lad was already a legend in the making.
🔵 60 Goals in One Season… You What?!
Let’s just say this slowly:
60 league goals. In one season.
Not in five years. Not in all competitions. Just one season, in the top flight.
That was 1927–28, and Dixie didn’t just break the record — he absolutely smashed it into the stands.
Now they say records are meant to be broken. But this one?
Still standing nearly 100 years later.
And this was all without modern boots, fancy diets, or VAR. Just good old-fashioned football, a head like a cannonball, and probably a decent bacon butty after training.
🚲 “One Good Leg” and a Bicycle Crash
Now here’s a bit that’s proper Wirral grit.
Before his 60-goal season, Dixie was in a motorbike crash. Doctors told him he might lose a leg. That he’d never play again.
So what did he do?
He got up, healed up, and then scored 85 goals over the next year and a half.
One leg, they said. Turns out that’s all he needed.
That’s the kind of toughness you can’t teach.
You either have it, or you’re playing in soft shin pads pretending.
🏟️ More Than Just a Footballer
Dixie wasn’t just a player — he was a gentleman.
Loved by fans, respected by rivals, and never caught diving or rolling about like a soggy lettuce.
He represented Everton, England, and everything good about Merseyside sport.
And after he retired, he never drifted far. He was often seen at Goodison Park — standing proud, watching the new lads come through.
👃 That Famous Nose
Let’s talk about it.
Yes, Dixie had a strong nose.
The kind of nose that could smell a goal before it even happened.
But in the Wirral, we don’t mock — we celebrate.
Because that nose went where boots feared to tread.
It scored headers with power, precision, and maybe a bit of steel plate from that crash (don’t quote me on that).
🎭 Limerick Time (Lads, This One’s a Belter)
Could head like a bulldozer machine.
He’d leap and he’d score,
Then go back for more—
With boots full of mud and caffeine.
🌟 Final Word from oavo
So next time you’re on the pitch, or just walking through Birkenhead with your head held high — remember Dixie Dean.
He didn’t come from some elite academy.
He came from us.
He played with heart, with pride, and with a finish of a legend.
Thanks for the goals, Dixie.
You didn’t just make football history —
You made Wirral history.
— oavo the cheeky window cleaner