| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Brian Charles Dear | ||
| Date of birth | (1943-09-18) 18 September 1943 (age 80) | ||
| Place of birth | Plaistow, Essex, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| West Ham United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1962–1969 | West Ham United | 65 | (33) |
| 1967 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 7 | (5) |
| 1969 | Fulham | 13 | (7) |
| 1969–1970 | Millwall | 6 | (0) |
| 1970 | West Ham United | 4 | (0) |
| Woodford Town | |||
| Total | 88 | (45) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
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]
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 ChelseaatStamford 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 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.
West Ham
