People
Duncan Neale
25th August 2025
You can forget being a footballer!!! My dad's very first words to me when I told him Terry Venables, John Lyall, Bobby Moore, and Jimmy Greaves had all joined pro football clubs.
These were boys I regularly played with over Wanstead Park. No one had a telly so that was our main pastime. I was 15 and studying at SW ESSEX technical College doing German French and Commerce and Accountancy I played for London Schoolboys and we went on to win The English Shield.
On leaving college, I went to work in the City of London for William Reid, a large publishing company and played for Ilford amateurs during which I was selected to play for a youth team to tour France, Germany and Belgium. I was the only amateur amongst all the others who were full time pros.
When I returned from the tour on my first day back at work, I went home to find my father and the manager and director of Newcastle United there. They were amongst 7 pro clubs who wanted me to sign pro and Newcastle United were my boyhood heroes as they as they won the FA cup 3 times in 4 years. After a long discussion with them my father asked them would I make the grade as a pro footballer? It's up to him was the reply, but we will do everything we can to make this happen.
On my first day at Newcastle United I met some of my boyhood heroes. George Eastham, Ivor Allchurch, Jimmy Schoolar and many more. Players who I had only read about in football magazines. I managed to get into the reserve team in the Central League in my first year and the following season Schoolar got an injury in the first game and so l made my debut. It was against Fulham and I had to mark Johny Haynes captain of England.
I scored 2 goals in that game and we drew them again in the FA Cup and this time I scored 3. I was the first player since the war at that time to score 3 goals in a cup game from the half back position. The ball is signed by both teams and is in the Newcastle United museum along with a signed tankard which I received when I played in Jackie Milburn's testimonial.
I played around 100 games for Newcastle and joined Plymouth Argyle with the late great Malcolm Alison as manager. I met Diane, my wife now and this year is our 60th Wedding Anniversary. I wish she would stop looking in every jewellers shop we pass!!!
Looking back, I had a wonderfull playing career, plenty of hard work, lots of dedication and good fortune.
