Matty McNeil
Encyclopedia
Matthew "Matty" McNeil is an English
footballer who plays for Chester as a striker.
, McNeil began his career with non-league club Woodley Sports
before signing for Stalybridge Celtic
in 1999 and also played for Runcorn and Hyde United, where he was Hyde's supporters player of the year for two years in succession.
side Macclesfield Town
in June 2006, and made 35 league appearances in the 2006–07 season, scoring four goals. He was offered a new contract at Macclesfield but joined Stockport County
in July 2007, where manager Jim Gannon
said of him, "He has all the qualities we want. He's very strong, hard working and well equipped for his role."
He made 22 appearances for Stockport, scoring six goals, before injury interrupted his 2007–08 season. He returned to feature briefly in Stockport's final game of the season, coming on as a substitute for the final few minutes of their Wembley play-off victory.
He was offered a new twelve-month contract by Stockport, but the first half of his 2008–09 season also turned out to be plagued by injury. After being sent off shortly into the second match of the season, McNeil suffered a knee injury in training and missed the remainder of August, all of September and the first half of October. He returned to face Colchester
on 18 October, scoring in the first half but being hospitalised with a head injury by a clumsy challenge in the second half. After a further month out through injury, McNeil returned to the first team for a spell of games in November, before a recurrence of a back problem forced him to limp out of the pre-match warmup for an FA Cup
tie against Gillingham
on 9 December, and spend the next six weeks on the sidelines.
on 12 May 2010 after being released from Stockport County earlier on in the year. He signed for Northern Premier League
outfit Chester in June 2011, after his release from Southport the previous month.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays for Chester as a striker.
Non-League
Born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, McNeil began his career with non-league club Woodley Sports
Woodley Sports F.C.
Woodley Sports F.C. is a football club based in Woodley, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They were established in 1970 as Woodley Athletic, and play at the Neil Rourke Memorial Stadium. In 1992, they became champions of the Manchester League Division One, and were promoted to the Manchester...
before signing for Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
in 1999 and also played for Runcorn and Hyde United, where he was Hyde's supporters player of the year for two years in succession.
The Football League
Following a successful two-month loan spell, he signed a permanent contract with League TwoFootball League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
in June 2006, and made 35 league appearances in the 2006–07 season, scoring four goals. He was offered a new contract at Macclesfield but joined Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
in July 2007, where manager Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
said of him, "He has all the qualities we want. He's very strong, hard working and well equipped for his role."
He made 22 appearances for Stockport, scoring six goals, before injury interrupted his 2007–08 season. He returned to feature briefly in Stockport's final game of the season, coming on as a substitute for the final few minutes of their Wembley play-off victory.
He was offered a new twelve-month contract by Stockport, but the first half of his 2008–09 season also turned out to be plagued by injury. After being sent off shortly into the second match of the season, McNeil suffered a knee injury in training and missed the remainder of August, all of September and the first half of October. He returned to face Colchester
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
on 18 October, scoring in the first half but being hospitalised with a head injury by a clumsy challenge in the second half. After a further month out through injury, McNeil returned to the first team for a spell of games in November, before a recurrence of a back problem forced him to limp out of the pre-match warmup for an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
on 9 December, and spend the next six weeks on the sidelines.
Return to non-League
McNeil signed for SouthportSouthport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
on 12 May 2010 after being released from Stockport County earlier on in the year. He signed for Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
outfit Chester in June 2011, after his release from Southport the previous month.