Everton legend Dave 'Cannonball Kid' Hickson celebrates 80th birthday

Dave Hickson 460HE was described by a former correspondent of this newspaper as 'soccer's stormiest petrel.'Nowadays, Davey Hickson is more akin to a wise old owl - a Great Horned Owl obviously given his still impressive quiff - and last night he celebrated his 80th birthday in a surprise party staged at Goodison Park.Hickson is one of Merseyside football's greatest treasures.Let us not forget he represented all three clubs of this city with passion and distinction, although there has never been any doubt where his heart lies.He is an Everton man from the tip of his trademark quiff to the toecaps of his shooting boots - which he was still pulling on only a decade ago in charity matches.The visit of Aston Villa to Goodison Park today is both timely and appropriate.Because The Claret and Blues have figured significantly in this particular Blue Blood's Braveheart career.It was Joe Royle who first coined the phrase 'Davey would often come off the pitch covered in bloodsome of it his own.'And it was Hickson's courageous display in front of nearly 78,000 fans, when he staggered back onto the pitch, blood seeping from a gashed eyebrow, to head a Goodison winner against Manchester United that set up an FA Cup quarter-final at Villa Park. Of course he scored the winner that day, too.As he did when Aston Villa provided the opposition for his Liverpool debut in November 1959, when Hickson scored twice.That particular transfer made Nick Barmby's decision to cross Stanley Park look like an afterthought.The Echo sports pages of the day were crammed - literally crammed - with letter, after letter, after letter.

Source: Liverpool_Echo