Terry Neill
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2022) |
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William John Terence Neill | ||
Date of birth | 8 May 1942 | ||
Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
Date of death | 28 July 2022 | (aged 80)||
Position(s) |
Centre-back | ||
Youth career | |||
Bangor | |||
1959–1960 | Arsenal | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1960–1970 | Arsenal | 241 | (8) |
1970–1973 | Hull City | 103 | (4) |
Total | 344 | (12) | |
International career | |||
1961–1973 | Northern Ireland | 59 | (2) |
Managerial career | |||
1970–1974 | Hull City | ||
1971–1974 | Northern Ireland | ||
1974–1976 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
1976–1983 | Arsenal | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William John Terence Neill (8 May 1942 – 28 July 2022) was a Northern Irish
Playing career
Born in Belfast, Neill played as a youth for Bangor, before moving in December 1959 to Arsenal. He spent a year in Arsenal's youth side, before making his debut against Sheffield Wednesday on 23 December 1960, aged eighteen. At first, he played sporadically during the early 1960s, getting between 10 and 20 games a season through the first half of the decade, though on one occasion he became the youngest Arsenal captain in the club's history at 20 years of age.[1]
Playing either at
During this time, Neill had also become a regular for
Managerial career
Although still only 28, Neill was signed by Hull City in July 1970 as player-manager, one of the youngest ever managers in the history of the game; he later became player-manager of his country as well. Neill retired from playing in 1973, by which time he had won 59 caps for Northern Ireland, breaking Danny Blanchflower's record (although Pat Jennings would go on to break Neill's record in due course).[4]
Neill left Hull a year later to succeed Bill Nicholson as manager of Arsenal's fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. He managed Spurs for two seasons, narrowly avoiding relegation in his first term.[4]
Having improved Tottenham Hotspur's fortunes with a 9th-place finish in his second season in charge, Neill was recruited by the Arsenal board to replace
Arsenal lost the other two FA Cup finals that Neill guided the club to, but were victorious in the 1979 final, with the Gunners winning 3–2 against Manchester United in one of the most exhilarating endings to an FA Cup final in history. In the 86th minute, Arsenal were leading 2–0. United scored two late goals to equalise. With the game poised for extra time, Alan Sunderland scored a last-minute winner for Arsenal to end the match 3–2.[6]
In 1979, Neill came close, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to pull off a major transfer coup for Arsenal by signing Diego Maradona as a highly rated teenager from Argentinos Juniors.[7] Neill also wanted to sign midfielder Glenn Hoddle from Spurs, but Hoddle had reservations about moving across North London to join his team's arch rival. Hoddle later said: "I don't think my brother would have ever spoken to me again if I had joined Arsenal."[8]
Neill guided Arsenal to the
Arsenal's success in cup competitions could not be matched in the league. The retirement of Malcolm Macdonald at the premature age of 29 due to a knee injury, and the departures of stars such as Brady and Stapleton, hampered Arsenal's league title ambitions.[citation needed]
In the 1980–81 season, Neill guided Arsenal to a third-place finish in the final table – the closest in 10 years that they had come to winning the league title.[11] In the 1981–82 season, Arsenal finished fifth in the league.[12]
Neill's 1982 summer signing of striker
In June 1983, Neill signed striker Charlie Nicholas, from Celtic for £800,000.[16] Liverpool and Manchester United had also been keen to buy Nicholas, who had scored an impressive total of 50 goals in all competitions for Celtic in the 1982–83 season. Nicholas reportedly became the highest paid footballer in Britain after his move to Arsenal, and later became a cult figure at the club.[17][18]
After being given an improved three-year contract at the start of the 1983–84 season, Neill was sacked by Arsenal on 16 December 1983. The dismissal was a decision which club chairman Peter Hill-Wood had reportedly agonised over.[19][20] Neill subsequently retired from football when only 41 years old.[21]
Personal life
Neill opened sports bars in Hendon and Holborn. He also commentated on Arsenal matches for Arsenal TV.[citation needed] Neill headed up the business development department of The Hub (London), a total media management company in the City.[citation needed]
Politically, he was a Conservative.[22]
Neill died in July 2022, aged 80.[23]
Career statistics
- Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Neill goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 17 March 1965 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | Netherlands | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification |
2 | 23 May 1972 | London, England | England | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1972 British Home Championship
|
Honours
Player
- 1967-68 League Cup Final
Managerial
Arsenal
- 1979–80
- 1979–80[24]
References
- ^ a b "Terry Neill – Player Profile". Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ "Arsenal Stats". thearsenalhistory.com. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
- ^ "Terry Neill: Former Arsenal manager and captain dies aged 80". Sky Sports. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "1979 FA Cup Final". Retrieved 30 January 2013.
- ^ "Maradona: I'm an Arsenal fan and almost signed for Gunners". Metro. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Online Exclusive". Online Gooner. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Vaessen winner stuns Juventus in Turin". Arsenal.com. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "UEFA Cup Winners' Cup". En.archive.uefa.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-84018-900-1.
- ^ "1981-82 Season Final Football Tables". English Football Archive. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4091-0579-4. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Lee Chapman - Stats and titles won". footballdatabase.eu. 5 December 1959. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Lee CHAPMAN - League appearances. - West Ham United FC". Sporting Heroes. 18 September 1993. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-78531-266-3. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Soccer has new Best". Calgary Herald.
- ^ "Charlie Nicholas: Profile". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
- ^ "Snapshot Tables 1983–1984 10th December 1983 Arsenal". Arsenal-mad.co.uk. 10 December 1983. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ Lacey, David (29 December 1983). "The day the marble halls cracked under pressure". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- ^ "Terry Neill: Former Arsenal and Northern Ireland captain and manager dies at 80". BBC Sport. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- TheGuardian.com. 25 April 2007.
- ^ "Arsenal & Northern Ireland legend Neill dies at 80". BBC Sport.
- ^ "Arsenal's Terry Neill". Football Fancast.com. 26 July 2010.
Further reading
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.