Legendary goalscorer’s daughter and another Everton striking legend perform unveiling ceremony
Everton legend Graeme Sharp, left, together with Barbara Dean, right, daughter of the club’s goal-scoring legend Dixie Dean,pictured below the EFC Heritage Society plaque at Portland School in Laird Street, where the football hero first went to school in Birkenhead. Photo by James Maloney
The EFC Heritage Society commissioned plaque at Co-Op Portland Academy in Laird Street, where Everton legend Dixie Dean first went to school.
A blue plaque commemorating the site of the school where Everton and England legend Dixie Dean first studied has been unveiled.
Dixie’s daughter Barbara Dean, and the second highest goalscorer in Everton’s history, Graeme Sharp, unveiled the plaque at the Co-Op Academy Portland on Laird Street.
The unveiling ceremony was witnessed by pupils and staff from the Birkenhead primary school, Everton legend Derek Mountfield, officials from Conservation Areas Wirral and members of the Everton Heritage Society who commissioned the plaque.
Ken Rogers Talks about the life of William Ralph Dixie Dean to the Children Staff and visitors
Dr John Rowlands, family doctor to George Camsell who held the Football league’s single season goalscoring record before Dixie Dean set his 60-goal mark which will surely never be broken, had the brainchild for the plaque.
Dr John Rowlands Talks about Dixie Dean as Graeme Sharp listens
Everton legend Graeme Sharp listen intently as Everton Heritage Society member Dr John Rowlands talks about his childhood hero, George Camsell, whose goalscoring record Dixie Dean broke.
He spoke at the unveiling, as did Heritage Society chairman Brendan Connolly, Heritage Society member and former Echo Sports editor Ken Rogers and Everton’s second highest goal scorer Graeme Sharp, before Gerry Murphy, winner of the PRS John Lennon award for song writing, performed his poignant Ballad of Dixie Dean.
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Dixie Dean’s footballing education started on the streets of Birkenhead, most notably Laird Street.
And the school he attended until the age of 11 was the Laird Street Primary School.
He once said: “I always had the ambition to play for Everton as a boy. When I was at Laird Street School in Birkenhead we wore blue jerseys and on the night before a match I would sleep in mine because it meant so much.
“My only lesson was football. I used to give the pens out on Friday afternoons. That was the only job I had in school.”
The EFC Heritage Society underneath their latest plaque at Portland School in Laird Street, watched by Derek Mountfield, Graeme Sharp and members of the Everton Heritage Society. Photo by James Maloney
The Laird Street was demolished but the Portland Primary School was built on the same site and earlier this year became the first in the region to join an academy trust run by the Co-Op.
