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JOHNNY MCNEIL
1. Came from: Inverness Caledonian Went to: Clapton Orient
1. First game: 20 October 1934 Last game: 11 February 1939
2. Came from: Clapton Orient Went to: Clapton Orient
2. First game: 13 January 1940 Last game: 13 January 1940
Appearances: 145 (145/0) Goals: 13
Born in Inverkeithing, McNeil started his career with Scottish junior side Bo'ness and then Musselburgh Bruntonians before being given a chance with Heart of Midlothian. However, he struggled to make the breakthrough at Tynecastle and moved to Portsmouth in 1928. A year later he signed for Reading and played 39 times in a two-year stay before moving to ambitious non-league side Guildford City. He then returned to Scotland to play for Heart of Midlothian and then Inverness Caledonian, before signing for Argyle in 1934.
Taking over from David Hill, McNeil made nearly 150 appearances at centre-half for the Pilgrims in a six-season stay before being displaced himself by the arrival of Jimmy Clark. In 1939 he moved to Clapton Orient on a free transfer, where he made three League appearances for the club before the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted the 1939-40 Football League season.
McNeil did return briefly to Argyle in January 1940 to make one further appearance as a guest in the South West Regional League. After his playing career was over he managed Merthyr Tydfil until June 1947, when he was appointed manager of Torquay United. After a disappointing first season, the following campaigns saw finishes of 9th and 5th, but after complaining about low attendances at Plainmoor during times of comparative success, he resigned to take the manager's post at Bury. His time at Bury was more fraught than at Plainmoor, facing a regular battle against relegation which he did manage to stave off. He eventually resigned in November 1953, which proved to be his last recorded involvement in professional football.
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APPEARANCE DETAILS [reselect competitions]
The details below reflect appearances in all first-team competitions.
I'm very grateful to many who have helped write GoS-DB's player pen-pictures, and to Dave Rowntree, the PAFC Media Team and Colin Parsons for their help with photos. Thanks also to staff at the National Football Museum, the Scottish Football Museum and ScotlandsPeople for their valuable assistance.
The following publications have been particularly valuable in the research of pen-pictures: Plymouth Argyle, A Complete Record 1903-1989 (Brian Knight, ISBN 0-907969-40-2); Plymouth Argyle, 101 Golden Greats (Andy Riddle, ISBN 1-874287-47-3); Football League Players' Records 1888-1939 (Michael Joyce, ISBN 1-899468-67-6); Football League Players' Records 1946-1988 (Barry Hugman, ISBN 1-85443-020-3) and Plymouth Argyle Football Club Handbooks.
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