Dixie McNeil

Dixie McNeil
Personal information
Full name	Richard McNeil
Date of birth	16 January 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth	Melton Mowbray, England
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team
????–1964	Holwell Works
1964–1966	Leicester City
1966–1967	Exeter City
1967–1969	Corby Town
1969–1972	Northampton Town
1972–1974	Lincoln City
1974–1977	Hereford United
1977–1982	Wrexham
1982–1983	Hereford United
	Chirk AAA
Total
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 former footballer and manager, who played as a striker.

Playing career

As a schoolboy, McNeil signed for Leicester City after playing for the local club Holwell Works, but he was released without playing for the first team. He made his Football League debut for Exeter City in the 1966-67 season against Wrexham, 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 the Southern League with Corby 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 the FA Cup match against Manchester United in which George Best scored six times. He then joined fellow Fourth Division side Lincoln City. He would be the top scorer at a club for the next five seasons, twice at Lincoln and three times at Hereford United after a £15,000 transfer. He helped Hereford achieve promotion to the Second Division of English football in 1975-76. 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 to Wrexham for £60,000. He scored the equaliser at the Racecourse Ground against Blyth Spartans, which took the club to an FA Cup replay at St James' Park, where he scored the winning goal. He retired from professional football in 1983 but played on in the Welsh National League with Chirk AAA, and also made an appearance in the FA Cup in 1985, at the age of 38.

Management career

McNeil became Wrexham manager in 1985 winning the Welsh Cup and progressing to the European Cup Winners' Cup in his first season.

After a spell as assistant manager at Coventry City, McNeil became a sales representative with Marston's Brewery, as well as reporting on Wrexham's games for local radio. In November 1993 he returned to football management as manager of League of Wales side Flint 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 side Caernarfon Town. His first win with Caernarfon was to beat Swansea City in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-final. He later became manager of another League of Wales club, Cefn Druids.

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