WILLIAM RALPH DEAN
“People ask me if the sixty goal record will ever be beaten. I think it will. But there’s only one man who’ll do it. That’s the fella who walks on water. I think he’s about the only one”
Local and our hero, a legend – royal, true
And he gives us all a reason to be blue
Footballer, gentleman, Evertonian too
And he gives us all a reason to be blue
The Merseyside Messiah, the best we’ve ever seen
Just one name upon our lips – William Ralph Dean
A giant in the history books
Colossal with the ball
Herculean on the pitch
Beating one and all.
The power and the glory
That brought us all together
A record never beaten
Guaranteed to stand for ever
Strong as an ox and down to earth
Our heads up in the clouds
His skills though take us heavenwards
His boots down in the crowds
The shots that were unstoppable
Raw power with velocity
The strength of bullet headers
Unrivalled in ferocity
A broken jaw and fractured skull
Could not keep him away
Never booked or cautioned
The way he chose to play
The iron man of Goodison
Worth his weight in gold
The perfect centre forward
The one who broke the mould
The cheers of celebration
The roars of great applause
The excited jubilation
With every goal he scores
Feel the noise and wonder
The awe with every shot
From the only man who could
Bring silence to the Kop
Eighteen goals in sixteen games
An Englishman renowned
The first to wear the number nine
On Wembley’s hallowed ground
Nineteen twenty seven
To nineteen twenty eight
This season and the reason
The sixty made him great
This legendary status
Hewn in granite for all time
No-one will eclipse
Our perfect number nine
A god who walked at Goodison
His presence still so strong
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Those memories live on
Local and our hero, legend – royal, true
And he gives us all a reason to be blue
Footballer, gentleman, Evertonian too
And he gives us all a reason to be blue
The Merseyside Messiah, the best we’ve ever seen
Just one name upon our lips – William Ralph Dean
PAUL COOKSON