Brian Dear
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{about||the Kahnawake Mohawk librarian|A. Brian Deer|the British investigative reporter|Brian Deer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Brian Dear
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Brian Charles Dear
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|9|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Plaistow, Essex, England
| height =
| position = Striker
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = West Ham United
| years1 = 1962–1969
| clubs1 = West Ham United
| caps1 = 65
| goals1 = 33
| years2 = 1967
| clubs2 = → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)
| caps2 = 7
| goals2 = 5
| years3 = 1969
| clubs3 = Fulham
| caps3 = 13
| goals3 = 7
| years4 = 1969–1970
| clubs4 = Millwall
| caps4 = 6
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1970
| clubs5 = West Ham United
| caps5 = 4
| goals5 = 0
| years6 =
| clubs6 = Woodford Town
| caps6 =
| goals6 =
| totalcaps = 88
| totalgoals = 45
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 =
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| medaltemplates =
}}
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.{{hugman|4953|accessdate=19 April 2018}}
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,{{Cite book |last=Hogg |first=Tony |title=Who's Who of West Ham United |year=2005 |publisher=Profile Sports Media| isbn= 1-903135-50-8 |page=61}} and represented England Schools. He made his Hammers debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 August 1962,{{cite web| url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=180&united=Brian_Dear| title=Brian Dear| publisher=westhamstats.info|accessdate=9 October 2017}} 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.
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.
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.
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. 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."{{cite book|last=Gillatt|first=Peter|title=Blackpool FC on This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year |publisher=Pitch Publishing Ltd|date=30 November 2009|isbn=978-1-905411-50-4}} The directors wanted to sack all five individuals. "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."
Peter Shilton named Dear as his toughest opponent.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/lessons-from-a-life-in-sport-peter-shilton-2xq76vs57|title=Lessons from a life in sport: Peter Shilton|first=Peter|last=Shilton|work=The Times|location=London}}
After football
After retiring as a footballer and working as a publican for some years, he joined Southend United as catering manager.
Dear was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2001 in recognition of his charity work.{{Cite web | title = Brian DEAR ... (1962–1969) | last = Marsh | first = Steve | website = theyflysohigh.co.uk | accessdate = 19 April 2018 | url = http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/ron-greenwood/4545965322}}
Dear provides a weekly column on West Ham United for the Yellow Advertiser online newspaper.
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dear, Brian}}
Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Newham
Category:People from Plaistow, Newham
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:West Ham United F.C. players
Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Category:Millwall F.C. players
Category:Woodford Town F.C. (1937) players
Category:English Football League players