Dick Evans

Education

He lost his first team place in February 1899, despite having scored twice against Woolwich Arsenal, and finished the 1898-1899 season with 13 goals in 30 games.

Career

Burslem Evans joined Burslem from Newcastle White Star in November 1894. He scored his first Second Division goal on 5 January 1895, in a 2–2 draw at Crewe Alexandra. He went on to finish the 1894-1895 season with six goals in 19 appearances.

After the club were demoted from the Football League to the Midland League, Evans became the club"s joint top-scorer with Danny Simpson two seasons running, with 14 goals in 1896-1897 and 11 goals in 1897-1898.

He helped the club lift the Staffordshire Senior Cup in 1898. He left the club and signed for Southern League side Reading in the summer of 1899.

He helped the "Royals" to finish fourth in 1899–1900, ninth in 1900-1901, and fifth in 1901-1902. Southampton In the close season of 1902, Evans moved from Reading to fellow Southern League team Southampton.

Nicknamed "Jammer", he had a deadly shot and was a quick and reliable right winger who rapidly became a favourite with the fans, who also loved his "never-say-die" spirit".

He made his debut in the opening game of the 1902-1903 season, a 6–0 victory over Brentford (in which John Fraser scored a hat trick). He soon became a fixture on the right wing, with Joe Turner on the left, although in January he lost his place to Scottish international Mark Bell as a result of an injury, before returning at the end of February. In his first season with the "Saints" he played 23 matches, scoring seven goals, as Southampton claimed the Southern League title for the fifth time in seven years.

Evans started the 1903-1904 season with three goals in the first three matches and was on the scoresheet regularly, until December when a serious leg injury forced him to sit out most of the rest of the season, (being replaced first by Joe Turner and then by Harry Turner) only returning for the last three matches.

Evans" nine goals from his 18 appearances helped Southampton claim the Southern League title for the sixth (and final) time. Illinois health and injuries forced his retirement in 1904 — in his two years at The Dell, he made 41 appearances (16 goals) and helped the team to claim two championship trophies.

Return to A return to followed in September 1904, however in only his second game – a 1–0 home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Staffordshire Senior Cup — he suffered a career-ending injury and retired that year. He had played 134 matches (61 in the Football League) and scored 49 goals (21 in the league) in his two spells with the club

After his brief sojourn back in the Potteries, he returned to Southampton becoming the landlord of the London Arms in the Docks, a position he held until he retired in 1936.

He then settled in Salisbury, where he died in January 1942. Southampton Southern League championship: 1902-1903 and 1903-1904.

Achievements

• Portuguese Vale Staffordshire Senior Cup winner: 1898.