Celtic Football Club Icon Dixie Deans Passes Away at Age 79.
Dixie Deans won six significant honours while playing with Celtic.
The sporting community is saddened as Celtic legend John 'Dixie' Deans has passed away at the age of seventy-nine.
Earning two caps for Scotland, Deans was renowned as a prodigious goalscorer for both Motherwell and Celtic throughout the 1960s and 1970s, securing six major trophies with the Glasgow giants.
A Remarkable Playing Career
He began with junior side Neilston and earned the moniker after former Everton and England striker Dixie Dean because of his remarkable goal-scoring exploits, which featured 60 in one season.
A transfer to Motherwell followed in 1965, where he continued to score goals consistently – 89 times in 198 appearances – and won the Second Division title in 1968-69.
He picked up several red cards while playing at Motherwell's ground, but Celtic boss Jock Stein remained undeterred from signing Deans to Celtic in 1971, in the wake of a shock 4-1 League Cup final defeat by Partick Thistle.
Success in Green and White
His conduct on the pitch improved, but the goal-scoring form remained as Deans partnered with fellow forward Kenny Dalglish to devastating effect.
He scored a hat-trick in the 1972 Scottish Cup final and the 1974 League Cup final, each in wins against Hibernian, but is also remembered for missing the decisive penalty in Celtic's 1972 European Cup semi-final defeat on penalties against Inter Milan.
Deans transferred to Luton Town in 1976, having scored 124 goals in 184 games for Celtic.
Subsequent Moves and Remembrance
Subsequent periods with Australian side Adelaide, Carlisle United and Partick Thistle followed before he hung up his boots in 1980.
"Deans will be remembered fondly for his superb goalscoring form at Fir Park," said a statement.
"He passes away aged 79 years old, and we send our condolences to his loved ones during this deeply sorrowful time."
The statement concluded: "Rest in peace, Dixie."
