McNeil, Richard 'Dixie'

Birth Date

16th January 1947

Birthplace

Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Occupation

Forward

Biographical Text

Dixie McNeil played for Exeter City relatively early in his 521-game, 239 goal Football League career. Signing from Leicester City in 1966, he scored eleven times in 31 league games for Exeter before continuing to score on a regular basis for Northampton, Lincoln, Hereford and Wrexham. 

He signed for his local club Leicester City after playing for Holwell but didn’t make a league appearance for the Filbert Street side and joined Exeter City in June 1966. Making his debut against Wrexham, where he was later a great success, on 20 August 1966 he went on to score eleven goals in his only season at St James' Park.

He then joined Corby Town, a club close to his home and with ambition at the time, before moving to Northampton Town for £5,000 in May 1969. He spent two and a half seasons at the County Ground, scoring 33 goals in 86 league outings. He then joined fellow Fourth Division side Lincoln City in January 1972, where he continued to score goals, 53 of them in 97 league appearances. Hereford United paid £15,000 for him in August 1974 and he topped their goalscoring charts for the next three seasons, totalling 85 goals in just 129 league matches. In September 1977, McNeil moved to Wrexham for £60,000 and netted a further 54 times in 167 league matches. McNeil’s final club, and for a second spell there, was Hereford United, signing for them in October 1982.

At the age of 36, he signed for Chirk AAA in the Welsh National League before becoming Wrexham manager in 1985 and helping the club win the Welsh Cup and do well in the European Cup Winners' Cup. After a spell as assistant manager at Coventry City, he worked in sales for a brewery and reported on Wrexham's games for local radio before becoming manager of Flint Town United and later Caernarfon Town and Cefn Druids.

Appearances

31

Goals

11

Files

Comments

Terry Ponsford

He was known as Dixie McNeil and as a 13 year old he was my hero. He wore his socks turned down a certain way and when I played I tried to replicate it. I didn't remember it was only one season, but I think he was a bit of a rebel so perhaps our manager couldn't handle him.

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