Derek was born in Ripon. His father Albert, formerly an officer in the Royal Marines, worked as a pipe-layer. He started his career in his native Yorkshire with Bradford Park Avenue. Derek was the first signing made by the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back Vic Buckingham after he had taken over from Jesse Carver as manager of West Bromwich Albion in February 1953. Signed for £2,000, he completed his National Service in the Army before establishing himself full-time at The Hawthorns.
Coached by the club's former striker W.G. Richardson, he had to wait until August 1955 to make his West Bromwich Albion League debut, a 2–0 home win over Everton in which he scored twice after being selected in place of the injured Ronnie Allen. He became a regular in the first team during the 1956–57 season, and his committed and powerful style of play earned him the nickname "The Tank" from the Albion supporters.
He scored 20 goals in the 1956–57 season, which included a run to the FA Cup semi-finals where Albion lost to Aston Villa. He scored 80 goals over the next three seasons – 23 in 1957–58, 28 in 1958–59 and 29 in 1959–60, including five in a 6–2 home League win over Everton. He added 18 in 1960–61 and then claimed 33 League goals the following season, when he finished joint top scorer in the First Division with Ipswich Town's Ray Crawford. This remains the highest post-war League total by an Albion player.
In March 1963, after scoring 16 goals in 28 appearances that season, including four against Fulham, he was transferred to Chelsea for £50,000. In a decade at Albion, he had scored 173 goals in 291 games. His spell at Stamford Bridge under Tommy Docherty was short and unsuccessful, and in the close season of the same year he moved to Second Division Manchester City for £35,000.
He made his Manchester City debut on the opening day of the 1963–64 season against Portsmouth, and scored his first goal for the club four days later, at Cardiff. Following the arrival of Jimmy Murray from Wolves in November, he and Derek formed a productive strike partnership. From late November to the end of December, he scored in eight consecutive matches.
Derek continued to score regularly in the 1964–65 season. However, his season was curtailed when he suffered a knee injury in a match at Derby County on 30 January. This proved to be his last match for the club, and on 29 July 1965 he moved to Crystal Palace in July 1965, making 21 League appearances and scoring five goals before moving to Peterborough United in March 1966 and then Luton Town.
In March 1967, he joined Stockport County, in an exchange deal involving Keith Allen. At Stockport, he gained the first medal of his career, the Fourth Division title in 1967.
After winding down his career in non-League football, he was the landlord of the Moss Rose pub, adjacent to Macclesfield Town's ground of the same name. He also worked as a delivery driver before returning to The Hawthorns in 1983 to work as a lottery agent as well as playing for the Albion All Stars charity team, which he later managed.
Derek died on 4 January 2013 aged 77, leaving wife, Connie. In tribute to Derek, West Bromwich Albion players wore black armbands for their FA Cup match the day after his death.
Derek scored eight goals in 14 appearances for England. He scored on his debut against Scotland at Wembley in a 2–1 win in April 1957, and netted twice in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, against the Soviet Union and Austria after he was selected for the squad in preference to Brian Clough.
His last England appearance came against Mexico in 1961. He also gained under-23 honours and netted a hat-trick for the Football League against the Scottish League in 1958.
Coached by the club's former striker W.G. Richardson, he had to wait until August 1955 to make his West Bromwich Albion League debut, a 2–0 home win over Everton in which he scored twice after being selected in place of the injured Ronnie Allen. He became a regular in the first team during the 1956–57 season, and his committed and powerful style of play earned him the nickname "The Tank" from the Albion supporters.
He scored 20 goals in the 1956–57 season, which included a run to the FA Cup semi-finals where Albion lost to Aston Villa. He scored 80 goals over the next three seasons – 23 in 1957–58, 28 in 1958–59 and 29 in 1959–60, including five in a 6–2 home League win over Everton. He added 18 in 1960–61 and then claimed 33 League goals the following season, when he finished joint top scorer in the First Division with Ipswich Town's Ray Crawford. This remains the highest post-war League total by an Albion player.
In March 1963, after scoring 16 goals in 28 appearances that season, including four against Fulham, he was transferred to Chelsea for £50,000. In a decade at Albion, he had scored 173 goals in 291 games. His spell at Stamford Bridge under Tommy Docherty was short and unsuccessful, and in the close season of the same year he moved to Second Division Manchester City for £35,000.
He made his Manchester City debut on the opening day of the 1963–64 season against Portsmouth, and scored his first goal for the club four days later, at Cardiff. Following the arrival of Jimmy Murray from Wolves in November, he and Derek formed a productive strike partnership. From late November to the end of December, he scored in eight consecutive matches.
Derek continued to score regularly in the 1964–65 season. However, his season was curtailed when he suffered a knee injury in a match at Derby County on 30 January. This proved to be his last match for the club, and on 29 July 1965 he moved to Crystal Palace in July 1965, making 21 League appearances and scoring five goals before moving to Peterborough United in March 1966 and then Luton Town.
In March 1967, he joined Stockport County, in an exchange deal involving Keith Allen. At Stockport, he gained the first medal of his career, the Fourth Division title in 1967.
After winding down his career in non-League football, he was the landlord of the Moss Rose pub, adjacent to Macclesfield Town's ground of the same name. He also worked as a delivery driver before returning to The Hawthorns in 1983 to work as a lottery agent as well as playing for the Albion All Stars charity team, which he later managed.
Derek died on 4 January 2013 aged 77, leaving wife, Connie. In tribute to Derek, West Bromwich Albion players wore black armbands for their FA Cup match the day after his death.
Derek scored eight goals in 14 appearances for England. He scored on his debut against Scotland at Wembley in a 2–1 win in April 1957, and netted twice in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, against the Soviet Union and Austria after he was selected for the squad in preference to Brian Clough.
His last England appearance came against Mexico in 1961. He also gained under-23 honours and netted a hat-trick for the Football League against the Scottish League in 1958.
Derek was born in Ripon. His father Albert, formerly an officer in the Royal Marines, worked as a pipe-layer. He started his career in his native Yorkshire with Bradford Park Avenue. Derek was the first signing made by the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back Vic Buckingham after he had taken over from Jesse Carver as manager of West Bromwich Albion in February 1953. Signed for £2,000, he completed his National Service in the Army before establishing himself full-time at The Hawthorns.
Coached by the club's former striker W.G. Richardson, he had to wait until August 1955 to make his West Bromwich Albion League debut, a 2–0 home win over Everton in which he scored twice after being selected in place of the injured Ronnie Allen. He became a regular in the first team during the 1956–57 season, and his committed and powerful style of play earned him the nickname "The Tank" from the Albion supporters.
He scored 20 goals in the 1956–57 season, which included a run to the FA Cup semi-finals where Albion lost to Aston Villa. He scored 80 goals over the next three seasons – 23 in 1957–58, 28 in 1958–59 and 29 in 1959–60, including five in a 6–2 home League win over Everton. He added 18 in 1960–61 and then claimed 33 League goals the following season, when he finished joint top scorer in the First Division with Ipswich Town's Ray Crawford. This remains the highest post-war League total by an Albion player.
In March 1963, after scoring 16 goals in 28 appearances that season, including four against Fulham, he was transferred to Chelsea for £50,000. In a decade at Albion, he had scored 173 goals in 291 games. His spell at Stamford Bridge under Tommy Docherty was short and unsuccessful, and in the close season of the same year he moved to Second Division Manchester City for £35,000.
He made his Manchester City debut on the opening day of the 1963–64 season against Portsmouth, and scored his first goal for the club four days later, at Cardiff. Following the arrival of Jimmy Murray from Wolves in November, he and Derek formed a productive strike partnership. From late November to the end of December, he scored in eight consecutive matches.
Derek continued to score regularly in the 1964–65 season. However, his season was curtailed when he suffered a knee injury in a match at Derby County on 30 January. This proved to be his last match for the club, and on 29 July 1965 he moved to Crystal Palace in July 1965, making 21 League appearances and scoring five goals before moving to Peterborough United in March 1966 and then Luton Town.
In March 1967, he joined Stockport County, in an exchange deal involving Keith Allen. At Stockport, he gained the first medal of his career, the Fourth Division title in 1967.
After winding down his career in non-League football, he was the landlord of the Moss Rose pub, adjacent to Macclesfield Town's ground of the same name. He also worked as a delivery driver before returning to The Hawthorns in 1983 to work as a lottery agent as well as playing for the Albion All Stars charity team, which he later managed.
Derek died on 4 January 2013 aged 77, leaving wife, Connie. In tribute to Derek, West Bromwich Albion players wore black armbands for their FA Cup match the day after his death.
Derek scored eight goals in 14 appearances for England. He scored on his debut against Scotland at Wembley in a 2–1 win in April 1957, and netted twice in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, against the Soviet Union and Austria after he was selected for the squad in preference to Brian Clough.
His last England appearance came against Mexico in 1961. He also gained under-23 honours and netted a hat-trick for the Football League against the Scottish League in 1958.
Coached by the club's former striker W.G. Richardson, he had to wait until August 1955 to make his West Bromwich Albion League debut, a 2–0 home win over Everton in which he scored twice after being selected in place of the injured Ronnie Allen. He became a regular in the first team during the 1956–57 season, and his committed and powerful style of play earned him the nickname "The Tank" from the Albion supporters.
He scored 20 goals in the 1956–57 season, which included a run to the FA Cup semi-finals where Albion lost to Aston Villa. He scored 80 goals over the next three seasons – 23 in 1957–58, 28 in 1958–59 and 29 in 1959–60, including five in a 6–2 home League win over Everton. He added 18 in 1960–61 and then claimed 33 League goals the following season, when he finished joint top scorer in the First Division with Ipswich Town's Ray Crawford. This remains the highest post-war League total by an Albion player.
In March 1963, after scoring 16 goals in 28 appearances that season, including four against Fulham, he was transferred to Chelsea for £50,000. In a decade at Albion, he had scored 173 goals in 291 games. His spell at Stamford Bridge under Tommy Docherty was short and unsuccessful, and in the close season of the same year he moved to Second Division Manchester City for £35,000.
He made his Manchester City debut on the opening day of the 1963–64 season against Portsmouth, and scored his first goal for the club four days later, at Cardiff. Following the arrival of Jimmy Murray from Wolves in November, he and Derek formed a productive strike partnership. From late November to the end of December, he scored in eight consecutive matches.
Derek continued to score regularly in the 1964–65 season. However, his season was curtailed when he suffered a knee injury in a match at Derby County on 30 January. This proved to be his last match for the club, and on 29 July 1965 he moved to Crystal Palace in July 1965, making 21 League appearances and scoring five goals before moving to Peterborough United in March 1966 and then Luton Town.
In March 1967, he joined Stockport County, in an exchange deal involving Keith Allen. At Stockport, he gained the first medal of his career, the Fourth Division title in 1967.
After winding down his career in non-League football, he was the landlord of the Moss Rose pub, adjacent to Macclesfield Town's ground of the same name. He also worked as a delivery driver before returning to The Hawthorns in 1983 to work as a lottery agent as well as playing for the Albion All Stars charity team, which he later managed.
Derek died on 4 January 2013 aged 77, leaving wife, Connie. In tribute to Derek, West Bromwich Albion players wore black armbands for their FA Cup match the day after his death.
Derek scored eight goals in 14 appearances for England. He scored on his debut against Scotland at Wembley in a 2–1 win in April 1957, and netted twice in the 1958 World Cup Finals in Sweden, against the Soviet Union and Austria after he was selected for the squad in preference to Brian Clough.
His last England appearance came against Mexico in 1961. He also gained under-23 honours and netted a hat-trick for the Football League against the Scottish League in 1958.
Gravesite Details
No known memorial.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
See more Kevan memorials in:
Advertisement
