The 35th Dixie Dean Memorial Award Evening took place at Goodison Park on Friday, where Everton legend Johnny Morrissey was named this year's winner. The event, held in the Alex Young Suite, was attended by three generations of Dean's family – daughter Barbara, granddaughter Melanie and great-grandson Daniel.
The trophy, a silver cup, was inaugurated by the ECHO following the passing of English football's greatest goalscorer. After the publication's own awards nights ended, the baton was passed to the Everton FC Heritage Society to choose the annual recipients.
An evening of tributes and memories
The evening began with a rendition of 'The Ballad of Dixie Dean' by Gerry Markey, before Everton FC Heritage Society members Jamie Yates and Rob Sawyer discussed their research on Dean's motorcycle crash in North Wales ahead of his record-breaking 60-goal season.
Morrissey, now 86 years young, took centre stage and was moved to tears at times as powerful images of former team-mates, some of whom are no longer with us, were projected to the audience. The old campaigner, who was tough as teak on the pitch, admitted that the adulation was all rather overwhelming.
From Liverpool to Everton
Born during the Second World War on April 18, 1940, Morrissey's football journey began across Stanley Park with local rivals Liverpool. He made 37 appearances for the Reds, scoring six goals at a time when they were in the Second Division.
After failing to get a game throughout the entire 1961/62 season as the team won promotion to the top flight, Morrissey was deemed surplus to requirements by Anfield top brass who sold him to neighbours Everton for £10,000 in September 1962 – behind manager Bill Shankly's back.
The Scot was furious at the decision and tried to get the player to go back on the agreement, but the wide man was on his way to the Blues and would vindicate the move with the first of his two League Championships at Everton in that debut season, with a second to follow in 1969/70.
Battles and banter
Morrissey revealed that Shankly had in time forgiven him for his defection 'across the park,' as after he had hung up his boots, he received a phone call from his former Liverpool manager, asking if he could join him in his regular five-a-side games with his mates from the Scotland Road area at the Vernon Sangster sports centre.
The Everton legend duly obliged, but after several matches, word got out around the city about Shanks' guest appearances – huge crowds were turning up, swamping the car park and sprawling over the balcony at the venue, so the Kop Idol respectfully bowed out and knocked his playing comeback on the head.
When asked about which of the two title-winning Everton teams he played in was the best, Morrissey said: "We had the three best midfield players in the country and that tipped the edge. Bally, Kendall and Harvey, Alan Ball was absolutely marvellous."
His interviewer David Prentice, who acted as compere alongside another former ECHO head of sport Ken Rogers, couldn't resist some questions about the award winner's numerous on-field battles. Prentice detailed how Jack Charlton had caused a furore in 1970 by declaring: "I cannot mention names but I have a little book with two names in it and if I get the chance to do them I will... I will make them suffer before I pack this game up."
Writing over a quarter of a century later in his 1996 autobiography, Charlton stated: "I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone now. Apart from Johnny Morrissey."
Morrissey recalled the infamous 'Battle of Goodison Park' against Don Revie's side in 1964 when the referee took both sides off the pitch for 11 minutes to calm down. He said: "I got this awful elbow, bang, the back of my head. I turned around and said: 'Hey, behave yourself, what do you think you're doing?' He told me: 'Shut up you Scouse so and so, you're getting plenty of it.' So, I said: 'Am I?' Before the game was over, he was asking the referee for protection!"
Morrissey was also asked about another famous moment against the Yorkshire outfit when he netted the winning penalty against them at Old Trafford in the FA Cup semi-final in 1968. He said: "I remember jumping up and going: 'Penalty, penalty,' and then realising, 'Jesus, I've got to take it.' I scored didn't I?"
Almost 55 years on from the last time he pulled on the royal blue jersey, there were also chants of: "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny Morrissey," from the crowd. Also present was the Everton legend's son, who himself turned out twice for the Blues in the 1984/85 season under Howard Kendall before going on to make 585 appearances for Tranmere Rovers.
As well as a brace of Johnny Morrisseys, there were also a pair of dual Everton title winners, as Peter Reid gave an entertaining speech along with another former winger Ronny Goodlass. Morrissey, who no longer goes to matches on a regular basis, finished his time centre stage with the words: "That's the first result for me, Everton."
