Dearson was born in
Ynysybwl,
Glamorgan. He began his football career as an
inside forward with
Barry and moved to
First Division Birmingham in 1934. By
1936–37 he had established himself as a first-team player. The following season, he was joint top goalscorer, sharing the honour with Welsh international colleague
Wilson Jones. In the last full season played before the Second World War, he moved to
half-back. He won three full caps for
Wales in their last three pre-war internationals. A qualified
electrical engineer, he was in a
reserved occupation during the war, and was available to represent his country in 15 wartime and
victory international matches. Chosen to play against
England at Birmingham's home ground,
St Andrew's, in 1941, Dearson missed a penalty; Wales lost 2–1. He also made 166 appearances for Birmingham in wartime football, including helping the club to the championship of the
1945–46 Football League South. By the time
the Football League proper resumed after the war, Dearson was past his best. He played another half-season for Birmingham as a
full back before moving to
Second Division Coventry City and then to
Walsall of the
Third Division South, before finally giving up League football at the age of 37. He still played another couple of years of non-league football with
Birmingham Combination side
Nuneaton Borough and
Bilston. After retiring from the game he worked for
BSA and
British Leyland, and died in
Sheldon,
Birmingham at the age of 76. ==Honours==