Kerry Dixon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Dixon was born in Luton. He started out as an apprentice with Tottenham Hotspur but was released. After spells with Chesham United and Dunstable, he got his first taste of League football with Reading, who signed him for £20,000 in 1980. He scored 51 league goals in 116 appearances for the then Third Division club. Following Reading's relegation, Dixon moved up to the Second Division to sign for Chelsea in August 1983 for a £150,000 fee plus an additional £25,000 if he ever played for England. He was signed by manager John Neal. Dixon's impact at Chelsea was immediate; he scored two goals on his debut against Derby County and added 32 more through the season as the club romped to promotion as Second Division champions. Chelsea clinched promotion with a 5–0 win against Leeds United, in which Dixon scored a hat-trick. He struck up an impressive partnership with David Speedie and also linked up well with winger Pat Nevin. In his first two seasons at Chelsea he scored a total of 70 goals in just 101 games. He finished the 1984–85 season as joint top scorer (alongside Gary Lineker) with 24 league goals while Chelsea finished sixth. In the same season, he hit a further eight goals in the League Cup as Chelsea reached the semi-finals. Chelsea challenged for the title in the 1985–86 season but Dixon suffered torn stomach muscles during an FA Cup tie against Liverpool in January, which did much to damage their chances. The injury also took away much of his pace. During 1986, Dixon was frequently linked with a transfer to Manchester United, but new manager Alex Ferguson did not follow up interest. Chelsea were relegated in 1988, which rejuvenated his career; he scored 25 league goals as Chelsea returned to the First Division as champions at the first attempt in 1988–89. A year later he scored a further 26, including a final day hat-trick against Millwall, to help Chelsea finish fifth. Dixon's final serious chance of a major trophy with Chelsea came in the 1990–91 season, when they lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup semi-finals. They did win the Full Members Cup twice (1986 and 1990) during his spell, although Dixon was injured on the occasion of the first victory. With 193 goals, Dixon is Chelsea's third highest goal scorer of all time, behind only Bobby Tambling and Frank Lampard. He is also tenth in the club's all-time appearances list. After nine years a

In Their Own Story

After Chelsea's relegation in 1988, Dixon experienced a career renaissance. He scored 25 league goals to lead the club back to the First Division as champions in 1988–89. The following season, he netted 26 goals, including a final-day hat-trick against Millwall, helping Chelsea finish fifth—their highest league position since 1970. While the club never won a league title under his captaincy, they secured the Full Members Cup twice (1986 and 1990), though Dixon was injured during the first victory. His only other major honours with Chelsea were two Second Division championship medals. Despite frequent transfer links to Manchester United in 1986, he remained at Stamford Bridge for nearly six more years after manager Alex Ferguson did not pursue the deal.

Reader's Guide

Kerry Dixon is a retired English striker best known for his prolific goalscoring at Chelsea, where he is third on the all-time scoring list. He won the Second Division twice with Chelsea and was top scorer in three different divisions across consecutive seasons. He also represented England at the 1986 World Cup.

Did You Know?

• Dixon scored a hat-trick in the 5–0 win against Leeds United that clinched promotion for Chelsea in 1983–84.
• He was joint top scorer in the First Division in 1984–85 with 24 league goals, alongside Gary Lineker.
• Dixon scored twice against West Germany in a 3–0 win for England in 1985.
• He was jailed for nine months in June 2015 for assault.