Don Dearson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Donald John Dearson | ||
| Date of birth | 13 May 1914 | ||
| Place of birth | Ynysybwl, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 24 December 1990 (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Birmingham, England | ||
| Playing position | Utility player | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1932 | Llantwit Major | ||
| 1932–1934 | Barry | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1934–1947 | Birmingham City | 131 | (17) |
| 1947–1950 | Coventry City | 84 | (10) |
| 1950–1951 | Walsall | 51 | (13) |
| 1951–1952 | Nuneaton Borough | ||
| 1952–1953 | Bilston | ||
| National team | |||
| 1938–1939 | Wales | 3 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Donald John "Don" Dearson (13 May 1914 – 24 December 1990) was a Welsh professional footballer who won three caps for his country and played for Birmingham City, Coventry City and Walsall.
Biography
Don Dearson was born in Ynysybwl, Glamorgan. He began his football career as an inside-forward with Barry and moved to First Division Birmingham in 1934. By 1936–37 he had established himself as a first-team player. The following season he was joint top goalscorer, sharing the honour with Welsh international colleague Wilson Jones. In the last full season played before the Second World War, he moved to half-back. He won three full caps for Wales in their last three pre-war internationals.
A qualified electrical engineer, he was in a reserved occupation during the war, and was available to represent his country in 15 wartime and victory international matches. Chosen to play against England at Birmingham's home ground, St Andrews, in 1941, Dearson missed a penalty; Wales lost 2–1.[1] He also made 166 appearances for Birmingham in wartime football, including helping the club to the championship of the 1945–46 Football League South.
By the time the Football League proper resumed after the war, Dearson was past his best. He played another half-season for Birmingham as a fullback before moving to Second Division Coventry City and then to Walsall of the Third Division South, before finally giving up League football at the age of 37. He still played another couple of years of non-league football with Birmingham Combination side Nuneaton Borough and Bilston.
After retiring from the game he worked for BSA and British Leyland, and died in Sheldon, Birmingham at the age of 76.
Honours
- with Birmingham City
- Football League South champions 1946.
Notes
- ↑ Courtney, Barrie (21 March 2004). "England - War-Time/Victory Internationals - Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
References
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
- "Welsh Football Data Archive".
- "Dearson's profile at Neil Brown's statistics site".