Neil Smillie

Neil Smillie (born Barnsley, 19 July 1958) is an English former professional football player and manager. He played for a number of clubs, with the high point of his career being an appearance in the 1983 FA Cup Final for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Neil Smillie
Personal information
Full name Neil Smillie[1]
Date of birth (1958-07-19) 19 July 1958
Place of birth Barnsley, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1974–1975 Crystal Palace
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1982 Crystal Palace[2] 83 (7)
1977 → Brentford (loan)[3] 3 (0)
1978 → Memphis Rogues (loan) 28 (2)
1979 → Memphis Rogues (loan) 20 (5)
1982–1985 Brighton & Hove Albion[4] 75 (2)
1985–1988 Watford[5] 16 (3)
1986–1988 Reading[6] 39 (0)
1988–1993 Brentford[3] 172 (18)
1993–1995 Gillingham[7] 53 (3)
Teams managed
1995 Gillingham
1996 Wycombe Wanderers
1998–1999 Wycombe Wanderers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

The son of the former Barnsley and Lincoln City player Ron Smillie, Neil Smillie began his career with Crystal Palace, where he spent seven years, during which he had a spell on loan at Brentford and also spent two summers playing for Memphis Rogues in the North American Soccer League.[8] In 1982, he was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion. During his time with that club, he played in the 1983 FA Cup Final, in which Brighton held Manchester United to a 2–2 draw before losing in a replay.[9]

In 1985, Smillie moved to Watford for a fee of £100,000 but his spell at Vicarage Road was unsuccessful, with only 16 first-team appearances in three years. In 1988, he moved on to Reading. A year later, he moved again to Brentford, where he was a first-team regular for five years with over 170 appearances.[10]

Managerial career

In 1993, the new Gillingham manager Mike Flanagan made Smillie his first signing, appointing him as player-coach.[10] Gillingham went into administration in 1995 and the receivers dismissed Flanagan as manager, appointing Smillie as manager for the remainder of the season.[9]

When new owners took over Gillingham in summer 1995, Smillie moved to Wycombe Wanderers, where he served as youth team coach.[10] He had a brief spell as caretaker manager in 1996 and, in 1998, gained the job on a permanent basis.[10] He was sacked the following year.[9]

Personal life

As of July 2010, Smillie was working as Sports Marketing Manager for Nike UK and headed the company's talent ID scheme.[10]

References
  1. "Neil Smillie". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. "CRYSTAL PALACE : 1946/47 – 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  3. "BRENTFORD : 1946/47 – 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  4. "BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION : 1946/47 – 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  5. "WATFORD : 1946/47 – 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  6. "READING : 1946/47 – 2006/07". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  7. "GILLINGHAM : 1950/51 – 2005/06". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
  8. "Brentford | News | Where Are They Now? | Where Are They Now? | WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NEIL SMILLIE - PART 2". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  9. Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. p. 298. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
  10. "Brentford | News | Where Are They Now? | Where Are They Now? | WHERE ARE THEY NOW? NEIL SMILLIE - PART 1". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
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