Richard Marshall Neal (14 January 1906 – 26 December 1986) was an English professional footballer who played as a winger. He spent most of his career at Blackpool and Southampton.

Dick Neal Sr.
Personal information
Full name Richard Marshall Neal
Date of birth (1906-01-14)14 January 1906
Place of birth Fencehouses, England
Date of death 26 December 1986(1986-12-26) (aged 80)
Place of death Fence, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Dinnington Main Colliery Welfare
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1925–1931 Blackpool 85 (17)
1931–1932 Derby County 10 (1)
1932–1937 Southampton 170 (17)
1937–1938 Bristol City 6 (0)
1938–1939 Accrington Stanley 21 (7)
Total 292 (42)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

edit

Neal was born in Fencehouses and started his playing career at Dinnington Main Colliery Welfare, from where, in 1925, he joined Blackpool, then in the Football League Second Division. He made his debut, in the number 7 shirt, on 1 May 1926, at Sheffield Wednesday in the final league game of the season. Over the next five seasons his appearance and goal totals in the league were: 17/3, 24/6, 32/5, 7/2 and 4/1. He helped Blackpool to the title in 1930, their only championship to date.[2]

He spent the first half of the 1931–32 season at Derby County, and in February 1932, the Southampton Supporters' Club put up the funds to secure his transfer to replace Bert Jepson. Over the next few seasons he was rarely out of the side and was a model of consistency despite the team's failure to achieve anything of merit, finishing regularly in mid-table in Division Two.[3]

In 1937, after 177 appearances for Southampton, he moved on to Bristol City before finishing his career at Accrington Stanley.

Personal life

edit

His son Dick Neal Jr. was a professional footballer who played as a half-back for Lincoln City and Birmingham City in the 1950s and 1960s, whilst his brother, Arthur, played briefly for Liverpool and Darlington. His brother-in-law was Freddie Gibson, who played as a goalkeeper for Hull City and Middlesbrough.

Honours

edit

Blackpool

References

edit
  1. ^ "Southampton. New directors, new enthusiasm". Sunday Dispatch Football Guide. London. 23 August 1936. p. vi – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
  3. ^ Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 252. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.