Photo: In Vitrio / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Kerry Dixon, Chelsea’s second all-time leading scorer, marked his 65th birthday on 24 July. The former striker scored 193 goals in 413 appearances for the club before departing for Southampton in 1992, nine short of the then all-time record.
Dixon arrived at Chelsea at one of the lowest points in the club’s history and made an immediate impact. He scored twice on his debut in a 5-0 win over Derby County in 1983/84, added a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over Leeds United that secured promotion, and scored the only goal at Grimsby on the final day to clinch the Second Division title.
His rise through the divisions stands as one of English football’s most unusual stories. After being released by Tottenham’s youth team, Dixon dropped into non-league football with Dunstable Town, where he scored 51 goals — more than any other player in the Southern League. A move to Third Division Reading followed.
He finished as the top scorer in the Third Division, then the Second Division with Chelsea, then won the First Division Golden Boot in 1985, shared with Gary Lineker. Finishing consecutive seasons as top scorer across three ascending divisions has rarely been replicated.
‘It really was the best partnership of my life,’ Dixon said of his striking relationship with David Speedie, in comments to former Chelsea programme editor Neil Barnett. ‘He had a great first touch, he worked so hard, all the things I didn’t do. He fitted into the parts I wasn’t so good at.’
Dixon also earned international recognition, scoring twice and providing an assist on his first England start — a 3-0 win over West Germany. A torn stomach muscle suffered in an FA Cup tie against Liverpool damaged his prospects ahead of the 1986 World Cup. He made the squad but played only once as a substitute during the tournament, and was capped just once more for his country.
After Chelsea’s controversial relegation through the top flight’s only-ever play-out, Dixon rediscovered his form in the Second Division. He scored 25 league goals as Chelsea won promotion as champions, finishing 17 points clear at the top.
‘It was the best hat-trick I’ve seen,’ said former team-mate Kevin Wilson of Dixon’s perfect hat-trick — left foot, right foot, and header — in a 3-1 win over Millwall on the final day of the 1989/90 season. ‘He’ll always live in Chelsea’s history.’
One of the most noted tributes to Dixon came at Wembley during the 1994 FA Cup semi-final, where he lined up for Luton Town against Chelsea. Supporters from both ends of the ground sang his name before kick-off.
‘That, undoubtedly, was the best moment of my career,’ Dixon said of the occasion.