Kerry Dixon

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Kerry Dixon
0Full Name	Kerry Michael Dixon
0Date of Birth	24 July 1961
0Place of Birth	Luton, Bedfordshire
0Position	Striker
0Chelsea career	1983-1992
0Debut	27 August 1983
0Games (goals)	420 (193)
0Other clubs	Dunstable Reading Southampton Luton Town Millwall Watford Doncaster Rovers

Kerry Michael Dixon is a former England international striker, who played for Chelsea from 1983 to 1992. He was a classic English centre forward, and a master goalscorer. His strength, ability in the air and eye for goal saw him score 193 goals for Chelsea over nine seasons. Dixon scored four times in eight appearances for England, but it was at Stamford Bridge that he became a true legend. He departed in 1992 for Southampton and to this day remains the second highest goal scorer in Chelsea’s history.

Contents 1 Before Chelsea 2 Chelsea career 3 After Chelsea 4 International 5 Chelsea statistics 6 Images

Before Chelsea

Dixon started his career at North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but was released without ever making a first team appearance. His first Football League action came at Reading, in the Third Division at the time. Dixon signed in 1980 and over three seasons scored 51 league goals from 116 appearances. He was top scorer in the Third Division in the 1982-83 season, with 26 goals in 35 games (and 32 in 41 in all competitions). In 1982 at the age of just 21, he scored four goals in an incredible match against Doncaster Rovers, one which Reading still lost 7-5.

Chelsea career

His goal scoring exploits at Reading alerted then Chelsea manager John Neal, who was willing to pay £150,000 for the striker. Incidentally, his contract included a clause that meant Reading would receive an additional £25,000 bonus should Kerry ever be capped by England, which then occurred two years later.

Kerry signed for Chelsea whilst the club was in the Second Division. John Neal was hoping that Dixon was the man who could catapult the Blues back into the top division of English league football.

Dixon started for Chelsea as he intended to continue, scoring a brace on his debut against Derby County. In an immensely successful season, Dixon scored 32 goals as Chelsea dominated the Second Division, earning promotion as champions at the season’s end. Indeed, the title was clinched with a 5-0 victory over bitter rivals Leeds United and, fittingly, Dixon scored a hat trick in that game.

The 1984-85 season saw Chelsea back in the First Division and the draw pitched the Blues against Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day of the season. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, however Dixon’s magnificent volleyed goal will live long in the memory, including for the man himself, who cites it as his favourite goal.

Goals came as naturally to Dixon in the First Division as it did in the Second Division and he ended the season with 24 league goals. This tally saw him finish joint top scorer with Gary Lineker and his contribution helped Chelsea achieve a final league position of sixth.

Chelsea, traditionally a strong cup side, reached the semi finals of the League Cup, with Dixon’s eight competition goals proving his ability to sustain his goal scoring form. Unfortunately Sunderland were too good in the semi final and the run ended there.

The next season saw Dixon’s goal scoring hampered by an injury that saw him lose form and struggle for consistency. Two seasons later, Chelsea were again relegated to the Second Division. Ken Bates intervened as Dixon considered a move to Arsenal in the previous season as much of the promotion winning team was broken up.

However, Dixon took it upon himself to fire Chelsea straight back to the First Division. He scored 25 goals that season as Chelsea were promoted at the first attempted; as champions of the Second Division.

He went one better at the turn of the decade, scoring 26 First Division goals as Chelsea finished in fifth place, their highest league position since 1970. To go from the Second Division to fifth in the First Division in the space of twelve months was a remarkable effort and without Dixon’s 51 league goals in that period of time, would not have been possible.

After Chelsea

In 1992 Dixon finally departed Chelsea, having scored more goals for Chelsea than such luminaries as Roy Bentley, Peter Osgood and Jimmy Greaves, although finished nine short of Bobby Tambling's all-time record, and signed for Southampton for £575,000. While at Southampton he linked up with David Speedie again, although neither was able to rekindle their previous form and he left a year later after nine league appearances and two goals.

Dixon later enjoyed a relatively successful spell at Luton Town, with whom he faced Chelsea in an FA Cup semi final in 1994; Chelsea won 2-0. At the end of the match, the Chelsea fans chanted: "there's only one Kerry Dixon". Further appearances at Millwall, Watford and Doncaster Rovers saw Dixon regularly contribute goals, before his eventual retirement in 1997.

For a short while, like many other former pros, he managed a public house, the "Distillery" in Dunstable and was player/coach at Borehamwood F.C. He followed this as manager at Letchworth F.C., Wisbech Town and assistant manager at Hitchin Town. These days he works as a match day host at Chelsea and regularly appears on Chelsea TV, and also appears on ESPN Asia as a football analyst.

International

In addition to his exploits at club level, during his time at Chelsea he was capped by England and travelled to the 1986 World Cup, where he made a substitute appearance against Portugal.

Chelsea statistics

See also: List of Kerry Dixon goals

Season	Prem		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1983-84	42	28	1	0	5	6	0	0	0	0	48	34
1984-85	41	24	2	4	10	8	0	0	0	0	53	36
1985-86	38	14	2	0	7	5	0	0	4	4	51	23
1986-87	36	10	3	0	3	1	0	0	1	1	43	12
1987-88	33	11	2	1	2	0	0	0	6	2	43	14
1988-89	39	25	1	0	2	1	0	0	2	2	44	28
1989-90	38	20	3	2	2	0	0	0	6	3	49	25
1990-91	33	10	1	1	8	4	0	0	2	0	44	15
1991-92	35	5	5	0	2	0	0	0	3	1	45	6
Total	335	147	20	8	41	25	0	0	24	13	420	193

Images