Dave Hickson
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" Hickson is an ex-football player, who played for Everton
, Aston Villa
, Huddersfield Town, Liverpool
and Tranmere Rovers
.
in 1948, though he was not able to play for three years, having to complete National Service
. In the Army he played in the Cheshire Army Cadets team, coached by former Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean
. He made his league debut for Everton in September 1951, away to . He was a 'physical' centre forward and his complete commitment won him adulation. Although he was good 'in the air', he was also quite skillful on the ground and possessed a powerful shot.
Hickson's reputation was confirmed in an epic 5th round FA Cup
tie in 1953 against Manchester United
when he had typically put his head where there were flailing boots and he was carried off with a serious gash. Nevertheless he returned to score the winner and played the rest of the match while losing blood copiously. Hickson also scored the winner in the following 6th round tie.
Hickson scored 25 goals in the 1953-54 season and so made a major contribution to Everton's promotion from Division Two
. However, he left Everton in 1955 to join Aston Villa
for £17,500. Later he moved briefly to Huddersfield Town. In 1957 he came back to Everton, though not as successfully. Even so there was much sadness among Everton's fans when he joined Liverpool
in 1959. Later he played 45 games for Tranmere Rovers
, making him the only man to play professionally for all three of Merseyside
's Football League clubs.
Hickson made 243 appearances and scored 111 goals for Everton and in the process became to the club. He is famous for saying during an interview: "I would have died for Everton, I would have broke every other bone in my body for any other club, that's how I look at it, you know, if it was that much I would have died for this club." Today Hickson is still with Everton as a guide on the tours of the club's ground, Goodison Park
.
aborted plans to watch the game after travelling up from London and he rode in an ambulance with close friend Hickson to the local hospital. When he was asked by nursing staff whether he expected to be playing in that fixture, he replied "only in the last ten minutes".
On October 30, 2009 Hickson discharged himself from hospital after two operations on his leg in the previous week to attend what he thought was an 80th Birthday Dinner at Club Everton with 20 or 30 of his close family and old time ex-colleagues. However the surprise event was packed out with almost 250 blues and he was in fine form satisfying all autograph and photograph demands from the enthralled audience. Hickson was presented with a specially commissioned painting of the him in his prime as "The Cannonball Kid" by Everton Life President Sir Philip Carter.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Huddersfield Town, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
Club career
Hickson started his career with amateur team before signing for EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in 1948, though he was not able to play for three years, having to complete National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
. In the Army he played in the Cheshire Army Cadets team, coached by former Everton centre-forward Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
. He made his league debut for Everton in September 1951, away to . He was a 'physical' centre forward and his complete commitment won him adulation. Although he was good 'in the air', he was also quite skillful on the ground and possessed a powerful shot.
Hickson's reputation was confirmed in an epic 5th round FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie in 1953 against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
when he had typically put his head where there were flailing boots and he was carried off with a serious gash. Nevertheless he returned to score the winner and played the rest of the match while losing blood copiously. Hickson also scored the winner in the following 6th round tie.
Hickson scored 25 goals in the 1953-54 season and so made a major contribution to Everton's promotion from Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. However, he left Everton in 1955 to join Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
for £17,500. Later he moved briefly to Huddersfield Town. In 1957 he came back to Everton, though not as successfully. Even so there was much sadness among Everton's fans when he joined Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in 1959. Later he played 45 games for Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, making him the only man to play professionally for all three of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
's Football League clubs.
Hickson made 243 appearances and scored 111 goals for Everton and in the process became to the club. He is famous for saying during an interview: "I would have died for Everton, I would have broke every other bone in my body for any other club, that's how I look at it, you know, if it was that much I would have died for this club." Today Hickson is still with Everton as a guide on the tours of the club's ground, Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
.
Post career
On 24 November 2007, Hickson suffered a suspected heart attack just before Everton kicked off their home game, a 7-1 victory over Sunderland A.F.C. Everton Chairman Bill KenwrightBill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
aborted plans to watch the game after travelling up from London and he rode in an ambulance with close friend Hickson to the local hospital. When he was asked by nursing staff whether he expected to be playing in that fixture, he replied "only in the last ten minutes".
On October 30, 2009 Hickson discharged himself from hospital after two operations on his leg in the previous week to attend what he thought was an 80th Birthday Dinner at Club Everton with 20 or 30 of his close family and old time ex-colleagues. However the surprise event was packed out with almost 250 blues and he was in fine form satisfying all autograph and photograph demands from the enthralled audience. Hickson was presented with a specially commissioned painting of the him in his prime as "The Cannonball Kid" by Everton Life President Sir Philip Carter.