The 35th Dixie Dean Memorial Award Event with Special Guest Johnny Morrissey

Johnny Morrissey’s immense contribution to Everton Football Club will be recognised at an event organised by the Everton FC Heritage Society, to be held on 30 October at Goodison Park’s Alex Young Suite. The former Toffees’ winger will be presented with the Dixie Dean Memorial Award Trophy, which has been presented to notable people from the Merseyside soccer scene for four-and-a-half decades.

Dixie Dean’s death at his beloved stadium during the Merseyside derby in March 1980, swiftly inspired Liverpool Echo journalists to create an award in his name. Its original aims were described in the newspaper, thus:

‘To commemorate this remarkable man and ensure his superb example is not forgotten, the Liverpool Echo is to inaugurate a special Dixie Dean Memorial Award for Sportsmanship in professional football, which will honour fair play and encourage others to follow in his footsteps.’

35th Dixie Dean Memorial Award Event flyer. Tap to view larger version

Everton’s then chairman, Philip Carter, was enthusiastic about the concept: ‘I welcome the Echo's initiative most wholeheartedly. Any award that focuses the attention of the game on the need for fair play and sportsmanship is good for football.’ The club’s secretary Jim Greenwood, intimated that the Toffees might also seek to honour the record-breaking goal-getter ‘Dixie was our most illustrious player and people will want to remember him. I am sure there will be a number of suggestions and the matter will be discussed by the board.’ In time, a lounge at Goodison Park would bear his name, and in 2001 a statue of Dean was unveiled outside the stadium.

The Echo enlisted Bill Shankly and Joe Mercer to join its journalists on the first selection panel for the memorial award. The former Liverpool boss said: ‘If football is played for a thousand years, there will never be another Dean. He was a true character, a man full of humour and sportsmanship. It is right that he should be remembered.’ Mercer, like Shankly, a good friend of Dean for many years, stated: ‘I am delighted Bill's name is to be remembered in this way. He was a wonderful character and above all a marvellous sportsman.’

By the end of the month, a handsome solid silver trophy had been donated for the purpose by jewellers Boodle and Dunthorne. It was promptly established that the award would recognise anyone linked to Merseyside football, irrespective of team, who had demonstrated ‘character, attitude to the game and sportsmanship.’ The shorthand inscribed on the trophy was: ‘For Sportsmen In The Great Tradition."’

2024 recipient Seamus Coleman with Dave Watson

In keeping with the non-partisan ethos, it was a famous former Liverpool player who was the first holder of the trophy. Ian Callaghan (for a long time with the Reds but, at this point, with Swansea City) was the unanimous choice of the panel. Like Dixie Dean, Callaghan transcended local tribal rivalries through his brilliance, longevity and sporting demeanour. He received the award in what was described as an informal affair, with a select group of football personalities invited, at the Echo’s offices.

With Bill Shankly’s death in 1981, another Reds legend in Billy Liddell was co-opted to the panel. In time, Brian Labone and Ron Yeates formed a four-man panel alongside the Echo’s Ken Rogers and Ian Hargraves. Mick Lyons and Phil Thompson were the next ward recipients, followed by Ray Mathias, who was at Dixie Dean's first club, Tranmere Rovers.

This pattern of the panel selecting deserving recipients from the three top Merseyside clubs continued until a Bill Shankly Memorial Award was launched in 1996. As this catered solely for Liverpool greats, it felt right to shift the focus of the Dean award towards the Toffees. Striking greats Bob Latchford, Alex Young, Joe Royle, Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp have been joined by inspirational skipper Dave Watson and the last of the Corinthians, Brian Labone, on the roster of winners.

David Moyes presented Derek Temple with his trophy last year

Following the presentation of the coveted trophy to Duncan Ferguson in 2014, there was a four-year hiatus before Everton FC Heritage Society took on the curation of the award. Graeme Sharp became the first double winner when presented with the trophy at the stadium’s Park End, ninety years after Dean had scored his glorious sixty league goals in a season. He was followed by defensive stalwart John Hurst a year later and, after a COVID 19–induced break, Seamus Coleman in 2024. Fittingly, as the Everton’s men’s team bid adieu to Goodison, club legend Derek Temple was presented with the trophy by David Moyes in 2025.

John Morrissey Jr

Now, it is the turn of John Morrissey Senior. The boyhood Red became the staunchest of Blues after his shock transfer across the Park in 1962 — it would prove, to Bill Shankly’s chagrin, to be one of the most astute pieces of business conducted by Harry Catterick. The forward would score against his old team in his first Merseyside Derby as a Toffeeman, going on to make 315 appearances, collecting two Football League Championship medals and a FA Cup runner's up medal along the way. Aside from his abundance of skill, he was a famously tough player, who was always willing to drop back and support the midfield when required. He was the safety valve when Ball, Kendall and Harvey were under the cosh.

John hung up his boots after a short spell with Oldham Athletic and became a successful businessman. His son, John Junior, was also on the Toffees books, briefly breaking into the first team before becoming a legend at Prenton Park. John Senior has kept his distance from Goodison park for the past few decades, but came back to see his old stomping ground as the Goodison era drew to a close.

The Heritage Society is thrilled that he has agreed to come to Goodison once more to accept the Dean award. On the night, he will be joined by Ronny Goodlass and Peter Reid whilst members of the Heritage Society will also talk about both Dixie Dean’s and Morrissey’s achievements in royal blue.

Organised by the Society’s chairman Ken Rogers, with support from vice-chair Mike Royden and his son, Lewis, this promises to be another emotional night, not to be missed. You can secure your ticket via this link