Andy Neil (footballer) explained

Andy Neil
Fullname:Andrew Neil
Birth Date:18 November 1892
Birth Place:Crosshouse, Scotland
Death Place:Kilmarnock, Scotland
Position:Inside forward, wing half
Years1:19??–1912
Clubs1:Ardeer Thistle
Years2:1912–1919
Caps2:75
Goals2:32
Years3:1912–1913
Clubs3:Galston (loan)
Years4:1916
Clubs4:Galston (loan)
Years5:1916–1917
Clubs5:→ Stevenston United (loan)
Years6:1919–1920
Clubs6:Stevenston United
Years7:1920–1924
Caps7:129
Goals7:22
Years8:1924–1926
Caps8:54
Goals8:10
Years9:1926–1927
Caps9:38
Goals9:6
Years10:1927–1930
Caps10:106
Goals10:1

Andrew Neil (18 November 1892 – 14 August 1941) was a Scottish professional footballer who made 75 appearances in Division One for Kilmarnock and 327 appearances in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion (two spells), Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers. He played as an inside forward or wing half.[1]

Life and career

Neil was born in Crosshouse, near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. He joined Kilmarnock of Division One from junior club Ardeer Thistle,[2] and made his debut on 12 April 1913 away to Motherwell. He played regularly in his second season, and in 1914–15, his 20 goals placed him sixth in the division's scoring charts.[3]

Neil came south in 1920 to sign for Brighton & Hove Albion of the newly formed Football League Third Division. He was a regular at inside right, technically skilful and creative, and impressed to the extent that First Division club Arsenal paid a £3,000 feean Albion club recordfor his services in March 1924. He was never a regular at Arsenal, but despite a lack of pace, was brought into the team at the insistence of captain Charlie Buchan to play a roving inside-forward role in front of a purely defensive centre half; the tactical change contributed to a runners-up finish in 1925–26.[4] Although he had played 27 matches that season,[5] Neil returned to Brighton in March 1926. He stayed until the 1927 close season, and then moved on to another third-tier club, Queens Park Rangers, where he played as a wing half until retiring in 1930 at the age of 37.

He then went back to Scotland and his original trade, as a baker. He died of a heart attack in Kilmarnock in 1941.[6]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Kilmarnock1912–13[7] Division One200020
1913–14Division One3212213413
1914–15Division One33203320
1915–16Division One5050
1918–19[8] Division One3030
Total7532217733
Brighton & Hove Albion1920–21Third Division18230212
1921–22Third Division South40330433
1922–23Third Division South4210514711
1923–24Third Division South29741338
Total1292215214424
Arsenal1923–24First Division11200112
1924–25First Division16200162
1925–25First Division27630306
Total5410305710
Brighton & Hove Albion1925–26Third Division South12200122
1926–27Third Division South26430294
Total38630416
Queens Park Rangers1927–28[9] Third Division South41110421
1928–29Third Division South29010300
1929–30Third Division South36040400
Total1061601121
Career total4027129343174

Notes and References

  1. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . SoccerData . Nottingham . 2004 . 194 . 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players. John Litster. Scottish Football Historian magazine. October 2012.
  3. Web site: Scotland 1914/15 . Alan . Brown . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) . 22 March 2002 . 11 August 2018.
  4. Book: Murray, Scott . The Title: the Story of the First Division . Bloomsbury . London . 2017 . 978-1-4729-3662-2.
  5. Web site: Arsenal first team line-ups . The Arsenal History . Andy Kelly . 11 August 2018.
  6. Book: Tim . Carder . Roger . Harris . Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. . Goldstone Books . Hove . 1997 . 134 . 978-0-9521337-1-1.
  7. Web site: Kilmarnock: Andrew Neil . Fitbastats . Bobby Sinnet & Thomas Jamieson . 11 August 2018.
  8. Web site: Kilmarnock: ? Neil . Fitbastats . Bobby Sinnet & Thomas Jamieson . 9 October 2020 .
  9. Web site: 1927/28 . Kenneth . Westenberg . none . 12 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813005245/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1927.xls . 13 August 2018 . dead ., Web site: 1928/29 . none . 12 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813005049/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1928.xls . 13 August 2018 . dead . and Web site: 1929/30 . XLS . QPRnet . Ron Norris . 11 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180813005233/http://qprnet.com/misc/seasonalstats/excels/QPR1929.xls . 13 August 2018 . dead .