Brian Dear
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Brian Charles Dear (born 18 September 1943) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker in the Football League for West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham and Millwall.[1]
Career
Dear was born in Plaistow, to parents originating from Tottenham. Nicknamed Stag, Dear started his career with West Ham United, joining the club at the age of 15,[2] and represented England Schools.[1] He made his Hammers debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 August 1962,[3] and went on to make 69 league appearances for the club, scoring 33 goals. He was a member of the 1964–65 European Cup Winners' Cup-winning side.[2]
He holds the record for the quickest ever five goals in an English game, 20 minutes either side of half time, in a home tie against West Brom on 16 April 1965.[2]
Out on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion, Dear managed to score five goals in seven games. He moved to Fulham for £20,000 in 1969 but, after a short spell at Millwall, moved back to West Ham in October 1970.[2]
His second spell at Upton Park was short-lived and Dear featured in only four games during the 1970–71 season. Dear played his last game for the club on 19 December 1970, wearing the number 9 shirt against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.[2] The following month, he and three West Ham teammates – Bobby Moore, Jimmy Greaves and Clyde Best, along with the club's trainer – were all fined a week's wages and banned for two games by West Ham manager Ron Greenwood after going out drinking in a nightclub until the early hours of the morning prior to an FA Cup third-round tie against Blackpool. "The game was played on an awful pitch and we lost 4–0. Blackpool had a lad called Tony Green, who probably had the game of his life."[4] The directors wanted to sack all five individuals.[4] "I never played very much after that, and at the end of the season I was given a free transfer. I went into non-League with Woodford Town. Jimmy only had another year's contract and he too ended in non-League. Bobby played on, but they never made it easy for him and he moved to Fulham."[4]
Peter Shilton named Dear as his toughest opponent.[5]
After football
After retiring as a footballer and working as a publican for some years, he joined Southend United as catering manager.[2]
Dear was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2001 in recognition of his charity work.[6]
Dear provides a weekly column on West Ham United for the Yellow Advertiser online newspaper.
Honours
West Ham
References
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- 1943 births
- Living people
- Footballers from the London Borough of Newham
- People from Plaistow, Newham
- English men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- West Ham United F.C. players
- Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
- Fulham F.C. players
- Millwall F.C. players
- Woodford Town F.C. (1937) players
- English Football League players
- Southend United F.C. non-playing staff
- Publicans