Dave Hickson appreciation thread

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Groucho

Groucho

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Bona fide club legend. Many words have been written about him but all that needs to be known is his famous quote: "I'd have broken bones for my other clubs, but I'd have died for Everton".

It says a lot about the man that he played for Liverpool, but we still love him to this day (honourable mentions to Gary Ablett and Peter Beardsley).

Have you ever heard a bad word said about him? I haven't. When I was 15 or so, he ran out in front of my dad's car near Goodison one morning - we narrowly missed him, he simply hadn't seen us but my dad, who idolised him, was distraught that he nearly ran Dave over. Dave gave us the cheekiest wave of apology, and it was simply impossible for my dad to have been irate for him nearly causing traffic chaos on Spellow Lane!

An Ellesmere Port native (it seems some good things do come from the Wirral after all @chicoazul lol ), he played for a number of northern clubs, including spells at Liverpool and later Tranmere (I think he was the first player to play for all three Merseyside clubs). But of course we all love him for his two spells here.

A swashbuckling forward, I couldn't find a great deal of footage of him but in this 1954 cup defeat at Sheff Wed, he scores our goal in a 3-1 defeat and you see a bit of his aggressive style of play. Enjoy, and please reminisce old blues!

 

Donald Twain said:
My dad's hero, enough said .
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Absolutely.

One of the things I've been hoping for from these threads, is that memories are passed down as I fear that some of our great players are soon going to be simply a photo and a soundbite.

There's quite a bit of footage of Dixie due to his stature, but you can struggle to find clips of our other greats when the world was in black and white.
 
...I've mentioned a few times but he managed a team I played for in the late 70s. If I recall rightly, he was working for Ellesmere Port Council at the time and getting a few bob for managing us. I knew how much of a legend he was because my mum and dad fought to answer the phone when he rang for a pre-match chat every Friday evening.

We trained under floodlights on concrete and he would throw himself if he had a chance to score in a 5 a side, amazing character. Very modest, very quiet, he did mention once or twice that he should've played for England but selection was via committee and he wasn't the right type. He spoke very highly of his team mate, John Willie Parker.

I remember him as a lovely man.
 
Eggs said:
...I've mentioned a few times but he managed a team I played for in the late 70s. If I recall rightly, he was working for Ellesmere Port Council at the time and getting a few bob for managing us. I knew how much of a legend he was because my mum and dad fought to answer the phone when he rang for a pre-match chat every Friday evening.

We trained under floodlights on concrete and he would throw himself if he had a chance to score in a 5 a side, amazing character. Very modest, very quiet, he did mention once or twice that he should've played for England but selection was via committee and he wasn't the right type. He spoke very highly of his team mate, John Willie Parker.

I remember him as a lovely man.
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Great stuff
 

Donald Twain said:
My dad's hero, enough said .
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Mine also.
Went with my brother and his two kids to a stadium tour, gettin on for 20 years ago now. We were just in the tunnel looking out in to the pitch, and as we were heading back, Davy Hickson appeared. We waited for everyone to leave and asked if he'd sign an autograph for me arl fella.
He couldn't have been happier to sign.
"To big Brian. All the best. Dave Hickson". Me arl fella was like a kid at Christmas when we gave it to him.
I wasn't fortunate to see him play and so had to rely on stories and news reports, but a true club legend and genuinely lovely man
 
Eggs said:
...I've mentioned a few times but he managed a team I played for in the late 70s. If I recall rightly, he was working for Ellesmere Port Council at the time and getting a few bob for managing us. I knew how much of a legend he was because my mum and dad fought to answer the phone when he rang for a pre-match chat every Friday evening.

We trained under floodlights on concrete and he would throw himself if he had a chance to score in a 5 a side, amazing character. Very modest, very quiet, he did mention once or twice that he should've played for England but selection was via committee and he wasn't the right type. He spoke very highly of his team mate, John Willie Parker.

I remember him as a lovely man.
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Who were you playing for at that time?I myself played for him in the early 70s,what a guy,remember playing for E/port in FA cup preliminary round against Poulton Vics and losing 18-2...not sure about our 2,might of imagined them.
 

I met him briefly whilst standing outside the Winslow having a pint after we had just beat Liverpool 3-0 a few years ago. He was buzzing just as much as everyone else was. He took a look at the Winslow, and you could tell that he really wanted to go in but the place was rather rowdy and absolutely chocca so he thought better of it and made his way down Goodison Road instead.
 
Eggsyblueskin said:
Not much I can add to the above posts,but like many others he was my Dads favourite player. Went with him to see him playa charity match at the Oval on the Wirral in the mid 70s. One of those players who epitomised what Everton is about.
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I was going to post that I had the honour of playing against a team with him in, and that was at the Oval but in the early eighties. Even at the age he was, with very little effort, he still "had it".
Like lots of wools of a certain age, I started watching Rovers and he was playing for them and it would be an understatement to say he was aggressive and was always confrontational. Against Aldershot as they were coming out after the half time break we saw people running to the top of the Kop to look down and see Dave going hammer and tongs at their centre half with the ref just letting them get on with it.
Had a brief chat to him when in the 85 lounge on my 60th. Softly spoken with a glint in his eye. I think he enjoyed the fact he was embraced by the Everton family, he was Deffo amongst friends.
 
Eggs said:
...I've mentioned a few times but he managed a team I played for in the late 70s. If I recall rightly, he was working for Ellesmere Port Council at the time and getting a few bob for managing us. I knew how much of a legend he was because my mum and dad fought to answer the phone when he rang for a pre-match chat every Friday evening.

We trained under floodlights on concrete and he would throw himself if he had a chance to score in a 5 a side, amazing character. Very modest, very quiet, he did mention once or twice that he should've played for England but selection was via committee and he wasn't the right type. He spoke very highly of his team mate, John Willie Parker.

I remember him as a lovely man.
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I remember myself and two mates,both Tranmere supporters, on holiday in the Isle Of Man.There was some sort of pre season tournament going on and Dave was playing for Tranmere against Wrexham, so we went along. Dave had a poor game, his legs let him down,and we saw the whole Tranmere team in what was then the Villiers pub on the front in Douglas. As we passed one us said,'you were crap today,Dave' and we thought he'd ignored us. Ten minutes later he walks over to our table saying 'Do you really think I was crap today,lads?' Can't remember what we said, but whenthe Tranmere team left the pub a bit later,on his way out he came over to us again and said 'Theres a pint for each of you at the bar guys,enjoy'. And there was. Absolute star,real legend, in the days when it stood out if certain players gave their all for the team,and didn't just fanny about and take fortunes from the clubs.
 

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