Dix Ronnie Image 3 Aston Villa 1934

Description

Bristol born inside forward Ronnie Dix holds the record for being the youngest goalscorer in Football League history, when he scored for Bristol Rovers aged 15 years 180 days in a win over Norwich City on 3rd March 1928 on his second appearance. He had played for Bedminster in 1927 and from there had joined Bristol Rovers making his Football League debut a week earlier against Charlton Athletic. But he had to wait until April 1930 to establish himself in The Pirates’ first eleven, and in 1930-31 he scored 22 goals, only being topped in the club’s scoring charts by Arthur Attwood.

Everton almost signed Dix in May 1931 in an affair that changed the purpose of the transfer system. Dix had promised to join Everton at the end of the 1930-31 season, but Bristol Rovers refused to honour the agreement that Everton stated they’d entered into. Rovers were made to pay all legal costs after failing to provide evidence to the contrary. The Football League were then told that all transfers were not considered final until the League Committee had been notified of any transfer and that all contract agreements must written down as evidence. Dix did leave Rovers, a year later, after 107 appearances and 73 goals, when he joined Blackburn Rovers in May 1932 for £3,000.

A year later after 15 goals in 40 appearances, he joined Aston Villa in May 1933 and played for them in the 1934 FA Cup semi final, which they lost to eventual winners Manchester City at Leeds Road Huddersfield. Having made 104 appearances and scored 30 goals for Villa, after their relegation to the Second Division in 1936, he moved onto Derby County in February 1937, where he won an England cap in November 1938, scoring in a 4-0 win over Norway at St James’ Park, Newcastle. He also played once for The Football League. He was also an ever present for Derby in the final full season before the Second World War.

Following 35 goals in 96 appearances for The Rams, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur in June 1939, scoring once in one of his 3 1939-40 games for Spurs prior to the season being abandoned due to the outbreak of the Second World War, and he played for Spurs both sides of the War, scoring 6 goals in 43 appearances. During the War Dix also guested for clubs including Bristol City, Chester, Blackpool, Bradford Park Avenue, Wrexham, York City and Liverpool. He left White Hart Lane for Reading in November 1947 playing two seasons at Elm Park, scoring 15 goals in 51 appearances before retiring at the end of the 1948-49 season.