Neil MacFarlane (footballer)

A defensive midfielder, McFarlane began his senior career with Queen's Park in 1999 and won the Third Division title in his first season with the club.[3] He moved to Scottish Premier League club Kilmarnock in July 2000,[4] but failed to make a first team appearance and instead spent much of his single season at Rugby Park away on loan at former club Queen's Park and Clyde.[5] MacFarlane transferred to First Division club Airdrieonians in July 2001 and though his 2001–02 season was ended prematurely by a cruciate ligament injury,[6] he was a part of the team which was victorious in the 2001 Scottish Challenge Cup Final.[5][7]

Though still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury suffered while an Airdrieonians player, MacFarlane signed a one-year contract with Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian in July 2002, on a part-time wage.[8] He broke into the team in November 2002 and progressed sufficiently to sign an improved contract in January 2003.[9] MacFarlane signed a new two-year contract at the end of the 2004–05 season and was a regular member of the team through to the early months of the 2005–06 season,[10][11][12][13][14] when he fell out of favour under manager George Burley.[15] A move to Dundee United was blocked by the Hearts board in August 2005 and after suffering a knee injury,[16][17] he made just one appearance under Burley's successor,[14] Graham Rix, before departing the club in January 2006.[15] MacFarlane made 95 appearances and scored one goal during his three-and-a-half years at Tynecastle.[5]

MacFarlane spent the second half of the 2005–06 season with Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen,[15] before signing a two-year contract with First Division club Gretna in May 2006.[18][19] Injuries restricted him to just eight appearances during the 2006–07 season,[20] but he still received a First Division winners' medal.[21] After his Gretna contract was terminated in May 2007,[20] MacFarlane moved to First Division club Queen of the South on a two-year contract.[22] He had two seasons as a mainstay of the Queens team,[23][24] reaching the 2008 Scottish Cup Final and qualifying for the UEFA Cup,[25] in which he had previously competed while a Hearts player.[12][13] MacFarlane wound down his career with spells at lower division clubs Greenock Morton, Airdrie United and Annan Athletic and retired in 2011.[3]

On 25 May 2018, MacFarlane was announced as manager of National League North club Kidderminster Harriers.[30] He had briefly coached with the club in 2015.[30] Tasked with promotion,[31] MacFarlane presided over 27 matches, winning 12,[32] before he agreed to part ways with the club in January 2019.[33]

On 30 May 2019, MacFarlane joined Brentford as head coach of the Championship club's B team.[26] As a result of first team head coach Thomas Frank testing positive for COVID-19, MacFarlane presided over the first team's 2–1 FA Cup third round victory over Middlesbrough on 9 January 2021.[34]