1931 - 1960
Stories of the Era
A period of mid-table mediocrity followed, and on December 11th 1937, Dean played his last match for the club, before moving on to Notts County - leaving behind a goalscoring record of 383 in 433 matches. A statue of the greatest goalscorer the game has ever seen now stands proudly in the corner of the current Goodison Park complex.
His departure in 1937 was much lamented but fortunately for the Evertonians, a suitable successor lay in waiting.
Tommy Lawton arrived from Burnley in January 1937, and such was his enormous potential that he was always looked upon as the heir to Dean's throne.
1938-39 was his finest season as an Everton player - scoring 34 goals in 38 matches as Everton raced to another League Championship success.
Great things were predicted for this fabulous Everton side, which included the legendary Ted Sagar in goal, TG Jones, Joe Mercer and Lawton - but once again the intervention of war prevented full potential being reached.
This season also saw the first incarnation of the Everton crest, as secretary Theo Kelly incorporated the Prince Rupert's tower, wreathes and Nil Satis Nisi Optimum elements onto neckties.
Lawton scored in each of the first three matches of the 1939-40 season, but the First Division was scrapped when World War II started.
Lawton never played another league match for Everton.
The War years had robbed The Toffees of the services of one of the finest centre-forwards ever and his record of 70 goals in 95 games would have been much, much more under different circumstances.
Lawton was at Chelsea when First Division football resumed after the War, and Everton entered another period of underachievement.
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