Dick White remembers clearly his father's words on the day "Dixie" Dean scored his 60th league goal in a single season, even though the still-standing record-breaking feat happened 80 years ago:
"Well, son, you have been privileged to see the great man achieve something that will never be surpassed."
It was May 5, 1928 and William Ralph Dean had just entered soccer folklore.
The Everton striker went into the final league game of the 1927/28 season needing a hat-trick to surpass the 59-goal mark that Middlesbrough's George Camsell had set in the previous campaign, in the second division.
The 21-year-old Dean had hit four in his previous outing at Burnley. Now, with Everton already crowned champions, 60,000 spectators packed into Goodison Park hoping to see him add the icing to the championship cake.
Dean made a dream start with two early goals, one a penalty. At halftime the score stood at 2-2 but, as the clock ticked on, the atmosphere grew tense.
"He only needed one goal and I can remember vividly that mounting tension: ‘Oh he's not going to do it after all this'," recalled White, then 10 years old.
"Then we got this corner that Alec Troup, the left winger, swung over and the great man, of course, rose majestically and it was there. The explosion as it went into the net was absolutely fantastic. The place was bedlam." Just eight minutes remained of the season.
"All the players on the pitch, Arsenal and Everton, congratulated him and the referee too - all except one Arsenal player, Charlie Buchan."
Dean had stolen the thunder of Buchan, who was making his final career appearance in that 3-3 draw. "He was overshadowed and he didn't shake hands," added White of the player who went on to forge a reputation as one of the game's leading journalists.
HEADING PROWESS
Dean had joined Liverpool side Everton at 18, crossing the River Mersey from Tranmere Rovers.
Twice a league champion, he was famed for his heading prowess and his athleticism was such he could jump from a standing position on to a billiard table.
"His heading was supreme, especially when you think he was heading a leather ball made heavier by mud and rain and he would not merely head it into the net, but he would bring other players in, heading it down or even out to the wings," White told Reuters.
