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Remarkable 88-year-old footage has emerged of Everton legend Dixie Dean – in his goalscoring prime and indulging his second love of cricket!

THE British Film Institute has just published a wonderfully evocative 82-second clip of the legendary marksman in Derby day action against Liverpool, and larking around in cricket nets in front of a throng of excitied supporters.

The derby match action comes from the September 1928 clash at Goodison, just four months after Dean had shattered the Football league scoring record, and a record which still stands unchallenged today.

Dean had already scored two hat-tricks by the time the September 29 clash was played, opening the 1928/29 season with seven goals in six appearances, although he was shut out by his great rival Elisha Scott on the occasion featured, winger Alec Troup scoring the only goal of the game.

The footage, which is out of sequence but nonetheless fascinating, shows rare shots of Dean in his prime, twice outjumping the Liverpool defence.

What is noticeable is the height that Dean, a man who stood just five feet 10 inches tall, reached, as he rises head and shoulders above his marker, his head parallel with the Gwladys Street crossbar.

But the footage starts with intriguing footage of Dean, in a shirt, tie and waistcoat, messing around in cricket nets.

The BFI caption reads: “Intriguing scenes on Merseyside in 1928. The most curious fragment is the footage of the men having a kickabout, apparently in cricket nets, with a crowd of fans looking on. Could these be Everton players? And could that be the legendary Dixie Dean among them?”

No other Everton players are identified but the centre of attention is unmistakably Dean.

The BFI adds: “These newsreel cuts are believed to have been shot at the Liverpool-Everton match at Goodison on 29 September 1928. The brief segments of the match are out of sequence, but include some close shots of the players.”

The BFI was founded in 1933 and is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.

Their site also has wonderful footage of Everton matches from 1902 and 1903 and Clement Freud’s riveting 1967 documentary about football fans on Merseyside, Mersey Mania.

You can see the full clip here http://player.bfi.org.uk/football-on-film

The Daily Courier report of the September 29 derby match, which was watched by 55,415 fans, featured no less than FIVE big headlines before readers even reached the description of the action.

Scott saves Liverpool from heavier defeat

Great goalkeeping in local derby

Dean’s duels with Davidson

Dunn a master strategist

Troup’s triumph

Everton deserved their narrow victory in their home match with their near rivals Liverpool.

Their forwards were superior in the second half and might easily have added a number of goals if Liverpool had a less alert goalkeeper than Scott.

The visitors were the better side in the early stages.

WATCH: David Prentice discusses the footage

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Their forwards played with a dash and determination which several times placed Davies at the their mercy, but scoring chances were thrown to the winds.

Hodgson and Edmed, backed up by Morrison, worked with a fine understanding and many clever runs were made by Hopkins; but neither Whitehurst nor McDougall was capable of utilising the goal-scoring openings created.

Whitehurst had one glorious chance, but hesitated too long before he shot straight at Davies.

Another time, when Edmed had provided him with the opportunity to dart between the backs, instead of letting fly at goal he placed over to the left, and McDougall, who came rushing up, was so taken by surprise that he bungled the opportunity when he did reach the ball.

The Everton forwards commenced badly, but improved as the game advanced. It took them some time to get working smoothly, for they were not allowed to develop

Policeman Davidson

The arrangement of the Liverpool defence was rather curious. Davidson never attempted much in the way of constructive play.

His duty was to act as Policeman on Dean, and very effectively he did it, giving the Everton centre no room in which to work and repeatedly robbing him of the ball.

Meanwhile Jackson was often working as a right half-back, with Morrison in the inside position.

This worked well in the early stages, but in the second half when the Everton forwards were combining well in their attack, Jackson found he had enough to do defend his own lines.

While Dean was still being effectively held up, Dunn, with the assistance of Hart, was proving the master schemer.

He was supplying both Troup and Ritchie with long passes, and the backs and flash the ball into the goal with his head.

He was really unlucky not to score in this fashion in the first half. He nodded the ball well out of the reach of Scott, but Done had rushed to the other side of the goal and was in time to kick the ball out.

Dean the Deceiver

Midway in the second half the Everton forward were showing much superior craftsmanship, and a chance of tactics by Dean led to Troup scoring the only goal of the match.

Dean at this period of the game, deceived the home backs by not attempting to score himself when the ball was centred from the wings but turned it with his head to the man on either side of him. It was following such a move as this that Dunn put in a shot that caused Scott some difficulty in saving.

Again Dean headed to the feet of Dunn, and this player with good judgement sent a low pass between Jackson and Davidson to the left for Troup to dash in and place in goal well out of the reach of Scott.

Scott Shaken

Against any ordinary goalkeeper Dean would probably have headed many goals. Several times he was just wide, and Scott was always on the alert.

He also showed great daring in going out to meet Dean’s dangerous rushes and in one of these clashes with Dean, Scott was put out of action and looked like having to retire. He was badly shaken, but did not show any apparent weakness as the game advanced, and never shirked in going out to meet Dean.

Everton could not claim any superiority in defence.

Done was cool in tackling, and trenchant in kicking, while Jackson worked so hard that it was not to be wondered at the once or twice he failed in his clearance kick.

All three of the Liverpool halves were sound, Bromilow was cool and polished in everyone he did. Morrison was a warrior, and rarely failed in his tackling, and Davidson shadowed Dean effectively.

Hodgson was the best, and Whitehurst and McDougall the least satisfactory of the Liverpool forwards.

Dunn's good work

What little Dean could do he did well, but Dunn was the principal schemer in the Everton attack.

He and Ritchie worked better together than Troup and Weldon, but Ritchie was at fault more than once in not shooting instead of centring the ball to dean who was being so well watched.

All three of the Everton halves were sound, none being better than Warney Cresswell at right full-back was inclined to take liberties with Hopkins, but the Everton captain was always more than a match for the Liverpool inside forwards.

O’Donnell had a much harder task in dealing with the Liverpool right wing and although not too sure in the early stages he improved later.

Davies had not so much work to do as Scott, but he showed no semblance of a mistake.

The teams were : - Everton: - Davies (goalkeeper), Cresswell (captain) and O’Donnell, backs, Kelly, Hart, and Virr half-backs, Ritchie, Dunn, Dean, Weldon and Troup, forwards.

Liverpool: - Scott (goalkeeper), Jackson and Done, backs, Morrison, Davidson, and Bromilow, half-backs, Edmed, Hodgson, Whitehurst, McDougall, and Hopkins, forwards.