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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard McNeil | ||
| Date of birth | (1947-01-16)16 January 1947 (age 78) | ||
| Place of birth | Melton Mowbray, England | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| ????–1964 | Holwell Works | ? | (?) |
| 1964–1966 | Leicester City | 0 | (0) |
| 1966–1967 | Exeter City | 31 | (11) |
| 1967–1969 | Corby Town | 0 | (0) |
| 1969–1972 | Northampton Town | 86 | (33) |
| 1972–1974 | Lincoln City | 97 | (53) |
| 1974–1977 | Hereford United | 129 | (85) |
| 1977–1982 | Wrexham | 167 | (54) |
| 1982–1983 | Hereford United | 12 | (3) |
| Chirk AAA | |||
| Total | 522 | (239) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1985–1989 | Wrexham | ||
| 1990–1991 | Coventry City (assistant) | ||
| 1991–1992 | Hereford United (assistant) | ||
| 1994–1995 | Flint Town United | ||
| 1999–2000 | Caernarfon Town | ||
| 2004–2007 | NEWI Cefn Druids | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Richard "Dixie"McNeil (born 16 January 1947) is an English formerfootballer andmanager, who played as astriker.
On 4 December 2019, he join Wrexham's board of director and will retain his honorary position of Club President.[1]
As a schoolboy, McNeil signed forLeicester City after playing for the local clubHolwell Works, but he was released without playing for the first team. He made hisFootball League debut forExeter City in the1966-67 season againstWrexham, a club he would later play for and manage. Despite scoring in one third of the matches he played, he was released at the end of the season, dropping down into theSouthern League withCorby Town, who were relegated in McNeil's first season.Northampton Town then bought him for £5,000 in May 1969.
McNeil spent two and a half seasons at Northampton, scoring in theFA Cup match againstManchester United in whichGeorge Best scored six times. He then joined fellow Fourth Division sideLincoln City. He would be the top scorer at a club for the next five seasons, twice at Lincoln and three times atHereford United after a £15,000 transfer. He helped Hereford achieve promotion to theSecond Division of English football in1975-76. He was also the top goalscorer of the top four divisions of English football that season. Hereford finished bottom of the Second Division the following season despite McNeil scoring nearly a goal every other game.
In 1977, McNeil moved toWrexham for £60,000. He scored the equaliser at theRacecourse Ground againstBlyth Spartans, which took the club to an FA Cup replay atSt James' Park, where he scored the winning goal. He retired from professional football in 1983 but played on in the Welsh National League withChirk AAA, and also made an appearance in the FA Cup in 1985, at the age of 38.
McNeil became Wrexham manager in 1985 winning theWelsh Cup and progressing to theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup in his first season.
After a spell as assistant manager atCoventry City, McNeil became a sales representative withMarston's Brewery, as well as reporting on Wrexham's games for local radio. In November 1993 he returned to football management as manager ofLeague of Wales sideFlint Town United, leading them from near relegation certainties to finish the season in fourth position. He was awarded a testimonial by Wrexham, against Kevin Keegan's Premier League side,Newcastle United in 1994.
McNeil returned to management in January 2000 as manager of struggling League of Wales sideCaernarfon Town. His first win with Caernarfon was to beatSwansea City in theFAW Premier Cup quarter-final. He later became manager of another League of Wales club,Cefn Druids.