Neil Griffiths (footballer)

Last updated

Neil Griffiths
Personal information
Full name Neil Griffiths [1]
Date of birth (1951-10-12) 12 October 1951 (age 72) [1]
Place of birth Stoke-on-Trent, England [1]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [2]
Position(s) Left-back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1970–1973 Chester 90 (5)
1973–1981 Port Vale 218 (13)
1981–1982 Crewe Alexandra 34 (1)
1982–1983 Stafford Rangers
1983–1986 Macclesfield Town 29 (0)
Newcastle Town
Total361+(19+)
Managerial career
1985–1986 Macclesfield Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil Griffiths (born 12 October 1951) is an English former footballer who played at left-back for Chester, Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra, Stafford Rangers, Macclesfield Town, and Newcastle Town. He also briefly managed Macclesfield Town.

Contents

Career

Griffiths began his career at Ken Roberts's Chester, who missed out on the Fourth Division promotion places by one point and one place in 1970–71. They then dropped to just one point and one place above the re-election zone in 1971–72, before finishing in 15th place in 1972–73. He scored five goals in 90 league games during his time at Sealand Road. He joined Gordon Lee's Port Vale in exchange for £5,000 and Tony Loska in December 1973. [1]

He played 24 Third Division and two FA Cup games in the 1973–74 season. [1] He fell out of favour under new manager Roy Sproson, playing just 12 league games in the 1974–75 campaign. [1] He featured 35 times in the 1975–76 season, and scored his first goal for the "Valiants" in a 1–1 draw with Hereford United at Vale Park on 3 April. [1] He made 40 appearances in the 1976–77 campaign, and scored one goal in a 3–0 home win over Barnsley to send Vale through to the Third Round of the FA Cup. [1] He played 40 games in the 1977–78 relegation season, and claimed three goals from the penalty spot after being appointed as the club's penalty taker by new boss Bobby Smith. [1] He lined up against Chester in the final of the 1977 Debenhams Cup and scored an own goal in what ended as a 4–1 defeat. [1] He scored one goal in 27 matches in the 1978–79 season, as the club struggled in the Fourth Division under new manager Dennis Butler. [1] He went on to score four goals in 41 games in the 1979–80 season, keeping his first-team place as the club switched managers from Butler to Alan Bloor and then John McGrath. He scored three goals in 25 games in the 1980–81 season, and was given a free transfer in May 1981. [1]

Griffiths moved on to Crewe Alexandra, and scored one goal in 34 Fourth Division games as the "Railwaymen" finished bottom of the Football League in 1981–82 under the stewardship of his namesake Arfon Griffiths. He then departed Gresty Road and played Alliance Premier League football for Stafford Rangers, before joining Northern Premier League club Macclesfield Town in 1983. He served the club as a player in the 1983–84 season, as player-coach in 1984–85, and then as manager in 1985–86 before he resigned to join Newcastle Town in February 1986. [3]

Career statistics

Source: [4]

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Chester 1970–71 Fourth Division 10000010
1971–72 Fourth Division3311000341
1972–73 Fourth Division4022020442
1973–74 Fourth Division1620010172
Total9053030965
Port Vale 1973–74 Third Division 2402000260
1974–75 Third Division1201010140
1975–76 Third Division3212010351
1976–77 Third Division3006141402
1977–78 Third Division3344030404
1978–79 Fourth Division2611010281
1979–80 Fourth Division4042100425
1980–81 Fourth Division2132020253
Total2181318112124815
Crewe Alexandra 1981–82 Fourth Division3412010371
Macclesfield Town 1983–84 [5] Northern Premier League 80001090
1984–85 [6] Northern Premier League1101040160
1986–87 [7] Northern Premier League1002030150
Total2903080400
Career total3611926124142121

Honours

Port Vale

Related Research Articles

John Smith was an English footballer and football manager. A forward, he scored 119 goals in 216 league games during nine seasons of peacetime football in the Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Ray</span> English footballer and manager

Richard Ray was an English professional footballer and manager.

Harry Lovatt was an English footballer. A much-travelled forward, he played for Port Vale, Preston North End, Crewe Alexandra, Bradford City, Wrexham, Scarborough, Leicester City, Notts County, Northampton Town, Macclesfield Town, Stafford Rangers, and Winsford United. Harry married Matilda "Tilly" Dean in 1927, remaining together until her death on 6 March 1984. They had one child, Sheila, who succumbed to illness when she was young. Harry was a resident of Halmer End, Staffordshire for many years.

Kenneth James Griffiths was an English footballer. A forward, he scored 59 goals in 221 games in the Football League.

Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed "Dan" after Desperate Dan.

John Cunliffe was an English footballer who played on the left wing. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.

Peter Leslie Ford was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Port Vale and Stoke City. He later played for Macclesfield Town in the Cheshire County League.

Stanley James Smith was an English footballer. A forward, he scored 25 goals in 92 league games in an eight-year career in the English Football League. He spent 1950 to 1957 with Port Vale, and later had brief spells with Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic, Witton Albion, Macclesfield Town, Stafford Rangers, Runcorn, New Brighton and managed Winsford United and Alsager Town.

Albert George Leake was an English footballer who played as a half-back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Maddock</span> English footballer

John Maddock was an English footballer, noted for his 'rifle shot'. He played in the right-back position for Stoke between 1919 and 1921, before signing with Port Vale following a two years spell at Macclesfield Town. He spent eight years with Vale, before joining Crewe Alexandra in 1931. He later played for non-League sides Nantwich and Audley United. He won the Third Division North title with Port Vale in 1929–30.

Martyn Christopher Smith is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Leek Town, Port Vale, Macclesfield Town, and Eastwood Hanley.

Edward John Cooke is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of non-League Macclesfield Town's highly successful team of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He previously played in the Football League for Port Vale, and later represented Altrincham, Chorley and Morecambe.

Frederick Lewis Donaldson was an English footballer who played as a full-back for Port Vale, Exeter City, Chester, Macclesfield Town and Stafford Rangers. He won the Fourth Division title with Port Vale in 1958–59.

Stuart Chapman was an English footballer who played as a midfielder for Port Vale, Stafford Rangers and Macclesfield Town, and worked as the player-coach of Rocester. He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Port Vale in 1969–70, and won the Northern Premier League, FA Trophy (twice) and Staffordshire Senior Cup (twice) with Stafford Rangers. He made more than 650 appearances and scored 60 goals during his 14 years at Stafford Rangers. He also led Rocester to two Staffordshire Senior League and two Staffordshire FA Vase titles.

Derek Tomkinson was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward for Burton Albion, Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra, and Macclesfield Town. He helped the "Valiants" to win the Third Division North title in the 1953–54 season. He also won the Cheshire Senior Cup with Macclesfield Town in 1960.

Matthew David Carrick was an English footballer who played as a forward for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham, Altrincham, Port Vale, Stalybridge Celtic, Witton Albion, Preston North End, Rochdale, Middlewich Athletic, Macclesfield Town, Droylsden, Oswestry Town, and New Mills. He made a total of 68 appearances in the English Football League, and also played in the Northern Premier League and Cheshire County League.

Bernard Jones was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Port Vale. He later turned out for non-League sides Winsford United, Macclesfield Town and Stafford Rangers.

Steven Waddington is an English former footballer. His father is former Stoke City manager, Tony Waddington.

Edwin Blunt was an English footballer who played for Northampton Town and Accrington Stanley either side of World War II.

Frank Kitchener Marsh was an English footballer who played at half-back for Stafford Rangers, Crewe Alexandra, Bolton Wanderers, Chester, and Macclesfield Town.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 120. ISBN   0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 299. ISBN   0362020175 . Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "Profile". silkmenarchives.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Neil Griffiths at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. ↑ "Stats". silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Stats". silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Stats". silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.