5th May 1928. Everton were playing Arsenal. Dixie Dean was only a hat-trick away from George Camsell’s seemingly unbeatable goalscoring record he made just the previous season. It all came down to this.
There will be a great crowd at Goodison Park today to see the final match with the Arsenal. They have promised themselves the treat of seeing the League trophy on the field. Dean will be a central figure at today’s match, for he will be out to make his 57 goals 60, and thus break all goal-scoring records of all three divisions of the English League. B.C. Freeman had formerly held the Everton’s club’s record by scoring 38 goals in the season 1908-09. It is a coincidence he went to Burnley, the club which enabled Dean last Saturday to improve his chances of beating Camsell’s record of 59 goals. “Dixie” has played a great part in Everton’s triumph. He is deservedly the most popular figure in Mersey sporting and athletic circles today. Everton have to score but one more goal to reach the 100 for the season.
[…]
W.R. Dean, otherwise “Dixie”, natural centre-forward. Everton be congratulated on their securing him from Tranmere Rovers who they face competition from about 20 clubs. His remarkable record in League representative football is well known, will be out today for the goal record of all Divisions. He no means a selfish player, but the question is frequently asked. What would Everton be without Dean? Dean certainly the cleverest player, especially in the vicinity of goal scoring today. His previous clubs are Heswall and Tranmere Rovers. He is 5ft 10 and half in., weight 12st 7lb.
“How The Championship Was Won” – The Daily Courier, 5th May 1928
Everton fans were energetic as the players walked onto the pitch. There were approximately 60,000 attendees to witness football history.
Arsenal took the lead after only two minutes, courtesy of James Shaw. However, just one minute later, Dixie Dean equalised.
Everton in the next minute, straight from the kick-off, hurled themselves on the right flank, where [Ted] Critchley took a corner kick, the ball coming to [George] Martin, who flicked it to the head of Dean, who was standing to the left of [Arsenal goalkeeper, Bill] Paterson.
Dixie, in his own inimitable way, glided it sweet and low with his head right into the net. It was a capital goal and complete recompense for an early blunder.
Dixie Dean’s first goal in Everton v Arsenal – The Football Express, 5th May 1928
A couple of minutes later, Everton were awarded a penalty. Who else to take it but Dixie Dean? Did he score, or did the pressure get to him?
Everton, again in the next minute, after their first goal, launched their devastating attack straight from the kick-off, and Dean was seen leaping headlong through the defence when he crashed on bare, hard ground when tackled by [Arsenal’s Bob] John.
The Everton leader was clearly dazed by the impact of his fall. The crowd howled “Penalty” and Mr. Harper approved and pointed to the spot.
The crowd roared “Dean”—and it was Dean—and another Dean goal.
Dixie Dean’s second (and record-equalling) goal in Everton v Arsenal – The Football Express, 5th May 1928
Dixie Dean converted his penalty and was on 59 goals. He had over 80 minutes to complete his hat-trick and break George Camsell’s record. It was only about a month previous that it seemed unlikely to happen.
Dean continuously tried to complete his hat-trick and he was continuously stopped in his tracks by Arsenal’s Bob John. He was then stopped by the woodwork, and soon the entire Arsenal defence. The Arsenal defenders were surrounding him like, to quote the Football Express: “flies around honey.”
Once he got past the defence, there was one more obstacle – Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Bill Paterson.
Everton, again, began to worry the Gunners, this time on the left wing, and Dean, who was, again, plied with passes, had run into position for a vital shot. Paterson hastily beat it down and finally extricated himself with Dean trying to force him and the ball through.
Dean was going all out for his 60th goal.
Dixie Dean’s unsuccessful attempt for his 60th goal – The Football Express, 5th May 1928
Dixie Dean subsequently had a few more attempts, but to no avail, with Bill Paterson carrying on preventing him from making history:
It was then Dean again. The first time Paterson thumped clear with Dixie on top of him. Then twice the Everton leader had a shot.
[…]
Towards the interval, Dean missed a couple of chances, one being a tap by his head from a pass from [Alec] Troup.
[…]
Dean was plied with chances innumerable, and each man gave him the ball in all positions.
His first chance was when [Hunter] Hart gave to Critchley, and the winger sped down and lobbed to Dean. The Everton centre bore down on [Arsenal’s Tom] Parker, and Paterson advanced as the full back kicked clear.
[…]
Dean twice in almost as many seconds was right on top of Paterson, but at the second time of asking, Paterson punched clear as he was falling on the goal line, and repeated the performance a minute later.
[…]
The Arsenal then got into the Everton ball for a brief moment, but the ball was again punted to Dean, who flung himself headlong between the backs, swerved to the right and crashed in a drive which Paterson dropped to on the goal line and only gathered the ball as it was passing for a corner.
Maybe “a few” is understating it a bit, but the fact is Bill Paterson became a bit of a nuisance. Maybe not in Dixie Dean’s eyes as he’s too nice, but more likely in the other Everton players’ eyes and most definitely in the Everton fans’ eyes.
The game was then temporarily stopped after Bill Paterson requested a stoppage, which was granted by the referee, in order to obtain a handkerchief from a policeman and get dust out of his eye. He was then helped by the referee and other players. Another incident soon followed. While Everton were attacking, the ball hit a boy who climbed over a wall onto the ground – the boy was unhurt.
Normal service resumed, and the game was going into the final 10 minutes. And what happened a couple of minutes later changed English football forever.
Paterson saved from [Tony] Weldon seven minutes from the end, and then Martin hit a high drive, which Paterson put behind for a corner.
Troup took the flag kick and Dean headed it past Paterson. Dean, as usual, got his head to the ball from a bunch of players before anyone could get to it.
The success of Dean was the signal for unprecedented scenes of enthusiasm. The ground rang with the volumes of cheering for several minutes. He was mobbed by his fellow players.
While this was going on, a small boy evaded the policeman, who were chasing him, and insisted on shaking hands with Dean, despite the efforts of the referee to stop him. The boy reached Dean, shook him by the hand and then proceeded to ruffle his hair amid the merriment of the crowd. The referee finally got the youngster by the scruff of the neck and he was escorted of the field.
Dixie Dean’s record-breaking 60th goal of the 1927/28 First Division – The Football Express, 5th May 1928
The history-making game was not one of Dean’s most spectacular in a way, although it was characteristic of him, for when the ball came in from a corner, Dean was in the midst of a bunch of players – friend and foe, and when it was a case of whose head was going to reach the ball first, it was a foregone conclusion it would be Dean’s. He nodded the ball into the right hand corner of the net. The air was full of electrical disturbances after that, and it was just possible the crowd might have over-run the ground as they saw Dean’s colleagues hugging him. Instead, the crowd cheered themselves, out for more than five minutes without stopping.
Reactions to Dixie Dean’s 60th goal – The Daily Courier, 7th May 1928
Football history was made: Dixie Dean scored his 60th goal, breaking the record George Camsell held for only 12 months. After beating the record, Dean thanked the whole squad for helping him break the record. After all, “football is a team game.” The team didn’t have much time to celebrate though as they were heading to Switzerland for a post-season tour, and Dean was going on international duty.
The breakdown of George Camsell’s goals (1926/27) and Dixie Dean’s goals (1927/28):
| George Camsell (1926/27) | Dixie Dean (1927/28) | |||||||
| Date | Opponents | Goals | Cum. Total | Date | Opponents | Goals | Cum. Total | |
| 28 Aug | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | 27 Aug | Sheffield Wednesday | 1 | 1 | |
| 30 Aug | Southampton | 0 | 0 | 3 Sep | Middlesbrough | 1 | 2 | |
| 4 Sep | Preston | 0 | 0 | 5 Sep | Bolton | 1 | 3 | |
| 11 Sep | South Shields | 0 | 0 | 10 Sep | Birmingham | 2 | 5 | |
| 18 Sep | Hull | 0 | 0 | 14 Sep | Bolton | 1 | 6 | |
| 22 Sep | Bradford City | 2 | 2 | 17 Sep | Newcastle | 2 | 8 | |
| 25 Sep | Wolves | 1 | 3 | 24 Sep | Huddersfield | 2 | 10 | |
| 29 Sep | Bradford City | 1 | 4 | 1 Oct | Tottenham | 2 | 12 | |
| 2 Oct | Notts County | 3 | 7 | 8 Oct | Manchester United | 5 | 17 | |
| 9 Oct | Clapham Orient | 0 | 7 | 15 Oct | Liverpool | 0 | 17 | |
| 16 Oct | Nottingham Forest | 1 | 8 | 22 Oct | West Ham | 0 | 17 | |
| 23 Oct | Barnsley | 1 | 9 | 29 Oct | Portsmouth | 3 | 20 | |
| 30 Oct | Darlington | 1 | 10 | 5 Nov | Leicester | 3 | 23 | |
| 6 Nov | Portsmouth | 4 | 14 | 12 Nov | Derby | 2 | 25 | |
| 13 Nov | Oldham | 1 | 15 | 19 Nov | Sunderland | 0 | 25 | |
| 20 Nov | Fulham | 4 | 19 | 26 Nov | Bury | 2 | 27 | |
| 27 Nov | Southampton | 1 | 20 | 3 Dec | Sheffield United | 0 | 27 | |
| 4 Dec | Blackpool | 2 | 22 | 10 Dec | Aston Villa | 3 | 30 | |
| 18 Dec | Swansea | 4 | 26 | 17 Dec | Burnley | 0 | 30 | |
| 25 Dec | Manchester City | 5 | 31 | 24 Dec | Arsenal | 1 | 31 | |
| 27 Dec | Manchester City | 2 | 33 | 26 Dec | Cardiff | 2 | 33 | |
| 1 Jan | Port Vale | 3 | 36 | 27 Dec | Cardiff | 0 | 33 | |
| 15 Jan | Chelsea | 0 | 36 | 31 Dec | Sheffield Wednesday | 2 | 35 | |
| 22 Jan | Preston | 1 | 37 | 2 Jan | Blackburn | 2 | 37 | |
| 5 Feb | Hull | 2 | 39 | 7 Jan | Middlesbrough | 2 | 39 | |
| 8 Feb | Grimsby | 3 | 42 | 21 Jan | Birmingham | 0 | 39 | |
| 12 Feb | Wolves | 1 | 43 | 4 Feb | Huddersfield | 1 | 40 | |
| 23 Feb | Notts County | 2 | 45 | 11 Feb | Tottenham | 0 | 40 | |
| 26 Feb | Clapham Orient | 2 | 47 | 25 Feb | Liverpool | 3 | 43 | |
| 5 Mar | Nottingham Forest | 0 | 47 | 3 Mar | West Ham | 0 | 43 | |
| 12 Mar | Barnsley | 0 | 47 | 10 Mar | Portsmouth | 0 | 43 | |
| 16 Mar | South Shields | 3 | 50 | 14 Mar | Manchester United | 0 | 43 | |
| 19 Mar | Darlington | 0 | 50 | 17 Mar | Leicester | 0 | 43 | |
| 26 Mar | Portsmouth | 1 | 51 | 24 Mar | Derby | 2 | 45 | |
| 2 Apr | Oldham | 1 | 52 | 31 Mar | Sunderland | 0 | 45 | |
| 9 Apr | Fulham | 1 | 53 | 6 Apr | Blackburn | 2 | 47 | |
| 15 Apr | Port Vale | 0 | 53 | 7 Apr | Bury | 1 | 48 | |
| 16 Apr | Grimsby | 1 | 54 | 14 Apr | Sheffield United | 2 | 50 | |
| 20 Apr | Reading | 0 | 54 | 18 Apr | Newcastle | 1 | 51 | |
| 23 Apr | Blackpool | 1 | 55 | 21 Apr | Aston Villa | 2 | 53 | |
| 30 Apr | Reading | 3 | 58 | 28 Apr | Burnley | 4 | 57 | |
| 7 May | Swansea | 1 | 59 | 5 May | Arsenal | 3 | 60 | |
(Italics mean they didn’t play in those games.)
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