John Neal

John Neal (13 April 1932 – 23 November 2014) was an English football player and manager.

Playing career

Neal was a hard tackling full back who had seven seasons with Hull City, but seemed lost to the Football League when he joined Kings Lynn in 1956.

Swindon Town brought him back to the Football League and he missed only one game in two seasons with the Robins. His career peaked when he signed for Aston Villa in 1959, with whom he won the Football League Second Division championship and promotion to the Football League First Division. He won the inaugural Football League Cup a year later. He joined Southend United in November 1962.

Managerial career

Neal was appointed manager of Wrexham in 1968. He took Wrexham to 9th in Division 4 in 1969 ,and to 2nd in Division 4 in 1970 and promotion to the Third Division. With Welsh clubs now able to qualify for the European Cup Winners Cup by winning the Welsh Cup, and folowing Wrexham winning the Welsh Cup, Neal in 1972 took Wrexham to the second round of the European Cup Winners Cup, where Wrexham held the Yugoslavian side Hajduk Split 3-3 , but lost on the away goals rule.

Two years later, Neal took Wrexham to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Wrexham beat Shrewsbury Town, Rotherham United, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Southampton before losing in the quarter finals to First Division Burnley at Turf Moor with just over 20,000 Wrexham away fans present.

In 1976, Neal took Wrexham on another run in the European Cup Winners Cup. They lost narrowly 2-1 in the quarter finals to the eventual winners RSC Anderlecht.

In the 1976-77 season, Wrexham beat First Division Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup, and First Division Sunderlandin the FA Cup.

Neal succeeded Jack Charlton as manager of Middlesbrough in 1977. He left the club four years later.

Neal was appointed manager of Chelsea in 1981 as a successor to Geoff Hurst. The club narrowly avoided relegation to the Third Division of the Football League during 1982–83 for the first time ever, but the following season lost only four league games, and went on to win the Second Division championship.

Upon returning to the top tier, the club consolidated its position under Neal and for a time were challenging for a place in Europe, though the events at Heysel Stadium disaster that season would have rendered European qualification immaterial anyway. Neal retired at the end of the 1984-85 season due to ill-health and underwent heart surgery in 1986. After retirement as Chelsea manager in June 1985 he was appointed to the Chelsea Board of Directors.

On 23 November 2014, Neal died at the age of 82. On his death, Chelsea paid tribute to Neal on their website praising his management at a time of crisis for the club and his purchase of future Chelsea legends, Kerry Dixon and Pat Nevin.