View source for Johnny McNeil

{{short description|Scottish footballer and manager}}
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'''John Law McNeil''' was a Scottish football player (a [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|centre-half]]), and [[Manager (association football)|manager]].

McNeil signed for [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] from [[Musselburgh Bruntonians]] In December 1928. He moved to [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] in January 1930 where he was a regular for a while. After a spell with non-league [[Guildford City F.C.|Guildford City]] he moved to [[Inverness Caledonian F.C.|Inverness Caledonian]] from where he joined [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] in August 1934. He played 143 times, scoring 13 goals for Plymouth, leaving [[Home Park]] in the summer of 1939 when he joined [[Leyton Orient F.C.|Clapton Orient]].

He later managed [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]] until June 1947, when he was appointed as manager of [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]]. His first season was not a great success, Torquay finishing in 18th place, but the following two seasons saw finishes in 9th and 5th and the discovery of future club greats [[Don Mills (footballer)|Don Mills]] and [[Sammy Collins]]. He resigned in March 1950 to take the manager's job at Second Division [[Bury F.C.|Bury]], not before complaining about the low attendances at [[Plainmoor]], even when the team was doing relatively well. His time at [[Gigg Lane]] saw Bury constantly battle against relegation – albeit to his credit this was achieved – until he left in November 1953.

He was {{height|ft=6|in=0}} tall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-dispatch-football-guide-1936-vii/134492706/ |title=Plymouth Argyle. Their capture: goal-getting centre from Scotland |newspaper=Sunday Dispatch Football Guide |location=London |date=23 August 1936 |page=vii |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Bury F.C. managers}}
{{Torquay United F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNeil, John}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish football managers]]
[[Category:English Football League managers]]
[[Category:Scottish Junior Football Association players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Highland Football League players]]
[[Category:Musselburgh Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Portsmouth F.C. players]]
[[Category:Reading F.C. players]]
[[Category:Guildford City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Plymouth Argyle F.C. players]]
[[Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players]]
[[Category:Torquay United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Bury F.C. managers]]
[[Category:People from Inverkeithing]]
[[Category:Caledonian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Fife]]
[[Category:Merthyr Tydfil F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]


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