| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Kelly Deans[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1946-07-30)30 July 1946 | ||
| Place of birth | Johnstone, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 9 December 2025(2025-12-09) (aged 79) | ||
| Position | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Neilston Juniors | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965 | Albion Rovers (trialist) | 1 | (0) |
| 1965–1971 | Motherwell | 152 | (78) |
| 1971–1976 | Celtic | 126 | (89) |
| 1976–1977 | Luton Town | 14 | (6) |
| 1977 | →Carlisle United (loan) | 4 | (2) |
| 1977 | →Partick Thistle (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 1977 | Shelbourne | 5 | (0) |
| 1977–1980 | Adelaide City | 57 | (30) |
| Total | 360 | (207) | |
| International career | |||
| 1974 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Kelly "Dixie"Deans (30 July 1946 – 9 December 2025) was a Scottishfootballer who played as acentre forward in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily forMotherwell andCeltic. Deans played in two international matches forScotland, both in 1974. A prolific goal-scorer, Deans was nicknamed "Dixie" in honour ofEverton andEngland centre-forwardDixie Dean.[2]
John Kelly Deans was born on 30 July 1946 in Thorn Hospital,[3] located outside ofPaisley inJohnstone, Scotland.[4] His father, John, worked as a laborer in a paper mill. He died when Deans was only 4 years old. His mother, Kathleen, worked odd jobs to support him and his three siblings.[3]
Deans started his career withNeilston Juniors, and after a trial with Albion Rovers[5] he joinedMotherwell in 1965 and spent six seasons with theFir Park side.[6] He signed for Celtic in a £17,500 deal on 31 October 1971.[5]
He played for Celtic until 1976, scoring 125 goals in 186 games[7] and setting several scoring records. The six goals he struck in a defeat ofPartick Thistle in the 1973–74 season is a post-war record for a single game; Thistle's goalkeeper was theScotland goalkeeperAlan Rough.[8] He is the only player in Scottish football history to twice score ahat trick in a major cup final, achieving the feat in the1972 Scottish Cup Final and the1974 Scottish League Cup Final, both againstHibernian.[9]
Deans is also remembered for the part he played in the semi-final of the1971–72 European Cup; the two legs and extra-time failed to yield a single goal and so the tie proceeded to penalties. Deans, who had come on as a substitute, took the first kick for Celtic and missed.Inter Milan then scored all five of their penalties and moved on to the final.[10][11]
In 1976, Deans was transferred toLuton Town in a £20,000 deal. He spent a month on loan toCarlisle United in 1977 and played briefly withLeague of Ireland sideShelbourne (five league games, no goals) before moving to Australia to play forAdelaide City.[6] He signed on a $25,000 contract and was the top scorer with 16 goals in the inaugural1977 National Soccer League season.[12] With the club he also won the1979 NSL Cup, defeatingSt. George in the final 3–2. He returned to Scotland with Partick Thistle in 1980, but only played in pre-season friendly games before retiring.[6]
Deans earned twocaps forScotland, both in 1974.[13] He was left out of the Scotland squad for the1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany. He had made the initial 40-man squad, but missed the final cut of 22, asDonald Ford andDenis Law were selected instead. Deans was eventually capped in October 1974, in a 3–0 win againstEast Germany, and a month later won a second cap in a 2–1 defeat againstSpain.[13]
In his autobiographyThere's Only One Dixie Deans, Deans wrote that whilst living in Australia, he metBob Marley, who asked him, "Are you the Dixie Deans who used to play for Celtic?" Marley said that he envied Deans for having played at Celtic Park.[14] Deans was later a match-day host atCeltic Park, where he entertained guests along with other former Celtic players.[15]
Deans died on 9 December 2025, aged 79.[10][16][17]
Motherwell
Celtic
Adelaide City
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
