Dennis Wescott
Posted on: Wed 17 Nov 2004
Dennis Westcott was born in Wallasey, Lancashire on the 2nd July, 1917. He was to become one of Wolves greatest ever goalscorers in a twelve year career at Molineux, which saw him scoring at an average rate of almost one goal per game. He joined his local club, New Brighton, as a 15 year old in 1932/33 season and whilst with the now extinct Merseyside club he gained Schoolboy international honours.
After an unsuccessful trial with West Ham, he joined Wolves in February 1937. That rejection by the Hammers was to prove costly for the Londoners and it was one, which must have rankled with them for many years.
Within a few days of signing for Wolves, Dennis made his debut. In a fifth round FA Cup replay at Molineux, Wolves took on Grimsby Town in front of a crowd of over 56,000. Playing on the right wing, the young Westcott scored one of Wolves six goals that day with Grimsby replying just twice.
Dennis kept his place on the wing for the next two league games at Manchester City and Chelsea and then an injury to centre forward, Gordon Clayton, saw him take over the number nine shirt against Portsmouth at Molineux. Three days later Stoke made the short journey to Wolverhampton and Westcott scored his first league goals in a 2-1 victory.
When Clayton recovered, Dennis was moved back onto the wing and he finished his first season with the club having scored six goals in ten appearances. In October 1937, Clayton left Molineux to join neighbours Aston Villa and Dennis began to establish the number nine shirt as his own. He hit his first hat-trick for Wanderers in an FA Cup tie against Swansea Town and also got four in Wolves 10-1 record league victory over Leicester City on Good Friday, 1938. He finished that season as the club's top scorer with 22 goals from just 28 appearances.
The final season before the outbreak of the war saw Dennis score 43 goals in 43 appearances. From the 27th December until the end of that season, he failed to score in only seven of the 26 games he played in, netting hat-tricks against Grimsby and Brentford, and then getting four in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford when, once again, Grimsby felt the full power of Westcott's finishing. That season was to end in disappointment though, as Wolves finished as runners up in both the league and the cup.
Westcott remained with the club during the war and he scored 91 goals in just 76 appearances during those six dark years. In 1942 Wolves won the Wartime League Cup when they overcame Sunderland in the two-legged final by 6-3, with Dennis getting three of the goals. When peacetime soccer resumed he carried on where he had left off scoring goals at a fantastic rate. With his new strike partner, Jesse Pye, he forged a partnership, which was one of the most feared in the land. Between them that year they hit 60 goals with 41 coming from Westcott. On two consecutive Saturdays in the December of that season he hit four goals, first, in the 5-1 trouncing of Liverpool at Anfield, and then in a Molineux mauling of Bolton. The 38 League goals he scored in that campaign, remain a club record to this day.
The following season was to be the last at the club for Dennis. He hit another hat trick, this time against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park, and he finished the term with a creditable fourteen goals to his name from 25 appearances. Despite his goalscoring heroics, Wolves decided, rather surprisingly, to release him and in April 1948 he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers. In his two years at Ewood Park, he scored thirty-seven goals before he moved on to Manchester City. He equalled his Blackburn goal tally in a two year session with the Maine Road club. He then spent a season with Chesterfield, scoring 21 goals before he retired from first class football in the summer of 1953.
Dennis did spend a time playing for Stafford Rangers before hanging up his boots altogether in 1957. His scoring record was phenomenal and he will always be remembered for his awesome firepower by the Molineux fans that were lucky enough to have seen him play.
Tragically Dennis's retirement was to be a brief one. He passed away on the 13th July 1960, the victim of Leukaemia. He was only 43 years old.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1936-1948
League Appearances 128 Goals 105
FA Cup Appearances 16 Goals 19
TOTAL APPEARANCES 144 GOALS 124
After an unsuccessful trial with West Ham, he joined Wolves in February 1937. That rejection by the Hammers was to prove costly for the Londoners and it was one, which must have rankled with them for many years.
Within a few days of signing for Wolves, Dennis made his debut. In a fifth round FA Cup replay at Molineux, Wolves took on Grimsby Town in front of a crowd of over 56,000. Playing on the right wing, the young Westcott scored one of Wolves six goals that day with Grimsby replying just twice.
Dennis kept his place on the wing for the next two league games at Manchester City and Chelsea and then an injury to centre forward, Gordon Clayton, saw him take over the number nine shirt against Portsmouth at Molineux. Three days later Stoke made the short journey to Wolverhampton and Westcott scored his first league goals in a 2-1 victory.
When Clayton recovered, Dennis was moved back onto the wing and he finished his first season with the club having scored six goals in ten appearances. In October 1937, Clayton left Molineux to join neighbours Aston Villa and Dennis began to establish the number nine shirt as his own. He hit his first hat-trick for Wanderers in an FA Cup tie against Swansea Town and also got four in Wolves 10-1 record league victory over Leicester City on Good Friday, 1938. He finished that season as the club's top scorer with 22 goals from just 28 appearances.
The final season before the outbreak of the war saw Dennis score 43 goals in 43 appearances. From the 27th December until the end of that season, he failed to score in only seven of the 26 games he played in, netting hat-tricks against Grimsby and Brentford, and then getting four in the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford when, once again, Grimsby felt the full power of Westcott's finishing. That season was to end in disappointment though, as Wolves finished as runners up in both the league and the cup.
Westcott remained with the club during the war and he scored 91 goals in just 76 appearances during those six dark years. In 1942 Wolves won the Wartime League Cup when they overcame Sunderland in the two-legged final by 6-3, with Dennis getting three of the goals. When peacetime soccer resumed he carried on where he had left off scoring goals at a fantastic rate. With his new strike partner, Jesse Pye, he forged a partnership, which was one of the most feared in the land. Between them that year they hit 60 goals with 41 coming from Westcott. On two consecutive Saturdays in the December of that season he hit four goals, first, in the 5-1 trouncing of Liverpool at Anfield, and then in a Molineux mauling of Bolton. The 38 League goals he scored in that campaign, remain a club record to this day.
The following season was to be the last at the club for Dennis. He hit another hat trick, this time against Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park, and he finished the term with a creditable fourteen goals to his name from 25 appearances. Despite his goalscoring heroics, Wolves decided, rather surprisingly, to release him and in April 1948 he was transferred to Blackburn Rovers. In his two years at Ewood Park, he scored thirty-seven goals before he moved on to Manchester City. He equalled his Blackburn goal tally in a two year session with the Maine Road club. He then spent a season with Chesterfield, scoring 21 goals before he retired from first class football in the summer of 1953.
Dennis did spend a time playing for Stafford Rangers before hanging up his boots altogether in 1957. His scoring record was phenomenal and he will always be remembered for his awesome firepower by the Molineux fans that were lucky enough to have seen him play.
Tragically Dennis's retirement was to be a brief one. He passed away on the 13th July 1960, the victim of Leukaemia. He was only 43 years old.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1936-1948
League Appearances 128 Goals 105
FA Cup Appearances 16 Goals 19
TOTAL APPEARANCES 144 GOALS 124
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