Neil Dougall

Summary

Cornelius Dougall (7 November 1921 – 1 December 2009) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an inside right or wing half. He played more than 350 games in the Football League for Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle, and won one cap for Scotland in 1946.

Neil Dougall
Personal information
Full name Cornelius Dougall
Date of birth (1921-11-07)7 November 1921
Place of birth Falkirk, Scotland
Date of death 1 December 2009(2009-12-01) (aged 88)
Place of death Plymouth, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Position(s) Inside right / Wing half
Youth career
1936–1940 Burnley
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1940–1945 Burnley 0 (0)
1945–1949 Birmingham City 93 (15)
1949–1959 Plymouth Argyle 275 (26)
Total 368 (41)
International career
1946 Scotland (wartime) 1 (0)
1946 Scotland (unofficial) 1 (0)
1946 Scotland 1 (0)
Managerial career
1961 Plymouth Argyle
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career edit

Dougall was born in Falkirk, Scotland. He began his football career as a schoolboy inside right at Burnley in 1936. He turned professional in 1940.[2] After the Second World War he moved to Birmingham City for a fee of £2,750. He helped the club win that season's Football League South war league championship and the Second Division title two years later. While a Birmingham player, he won one full cap for Scotland, against Wales in October 1946.[3] Earlier that year he also represented his country in a Victory international against England and in the Burnden Park disaster fundraising match, in which he played opposite his clubmate Frank Mitchell.[4][5]

He transferred to Plymouth Argyle in March 1949 for a fee of £13,000, was converted to wing half,[2] and spent the remainder of his playing career at the club, making nearly 300 appearances in all competitions, before he retired in March 1959.[6] With Plymouth he won a Third Division South championship medal in 1952 and a Third Division championship medal in 1959. He was awarded a testimonial match against Burnley, the club where he started his career and where his father Billy had been both player and manager (his uncles Peter and Jimmy also played in the 1930s, mainly for Southampton and Preston North End).[2] Neil also qualified as a coach and became player-coach to Plymouth's reserve team, succeeded Jack Rowley as team manager for an eight-month spell,[7] and performed various coaching roles at the club until 1969.

After retiring from football he ran a fitness club in Plymouth from which he retired in 1986. He had Alzheimer's disease[7][8] and died in Plymouth on 1 December 2009 after a long illness.[9]

Honours edit

Birmingham City

Plymouth Argyle

References edit

General

  • Matthews, Tony, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. pp. 83–84. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
  • "Neil Dougall". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 16 October 2007.

Specific

  1. ^ "Neil Dougall". Scotland the Complete Record 1872 to 2005. London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Neil Dougall: Versatile and creative Scottish international footballer". The Independent. London. 12 December 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Neil Dougall". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  4. ^ Courtney, Barrie (21 March 2004). "England – War-Time/Victory Internationals – Details". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  5. ^ "Sat 24 Aug 1946 England 2 Scotland 2". London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Neil Dougall". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  7. ^ a b Curno, Mike (25 July 2006). "1959/60 Series – Part 12". TheLongside.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Former Blues: Alex Govan". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 18 September 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  9. ^ "Former team-mates pay tribute to legend Dougall". The Herald. Plymouth. 3 December 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.