Former Blues winger passes away
Pompey are mourning the death of Pat Neil, who has passed away at the age of 79.
He made his Blues debut at Huddersfield in August 1955 at the age of just 17, appearing alongside the likes of Jimmy Dickinson and Duggie Reid.
Pat was still attending Northern Grammar School at the time, but was drafted into the side at Leeds Road to replace the injured Peter Harris.
His Fratton Park debut arrived a week later and a crowd of 37,072 saw the winger slam home his first senior goal in a 3-3 draw with Blackpool.
Yet after notching three times in nine games, he went back to playing for the reserves in the London Combination League.
Pat’s amateur forms expired at the end of the 1955/56 season and during the summer he was persuaded to sign for Wolves, where he netted once in four appearances.
He then turned his back on professional football, preferring to concentrate on his academic studies, while still turning out for the likes of Cambridge University, Pegasus and Corinthian Casuals.
Neil tried to resurrect his Pompey career in 1962 – at the same time as working part-time at his former school.
But after making two more first team appearances, he left Fratton Park to embark on a full-time teaching career, also playing non-league football with Poole and Bath.
He was heavily involved in forming the Portsmouth Ex-Professionals Reunion Club and served as chairman, later joining the committee of the revamped Former Players’ Association.
Everyone at Portsmouth Football Club would like to send their deepest condolences to Pat’s family and friends.