- Frank Neary
Football player infobox2
playername = Frank Neary
fullname = Harold Frank Neary
nickname =
height =
dateofbirth = birth date|df=yes|1921|3|6
cityofbirth =Aldershot
countryofbirth =England
dateofdeath = 2003 (aged 82)
position =Striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1945-1947
1947
1947-1949
1949-1950
1950-1954
1954
clubs = Queens Park Rangers
West Ham United
Leyton Orient
Queens Park Rangers
Millwall
Gravesend
caps(goals) = 009 0(4)
015 (14)
078 (44)
019 0(5)
123 (50)
00? 0(?)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =Harold Frank Neary (born 6 March 1921 in
Aldershot ,Hampshire ) was an English footballer who played as astriker , mainly for Millwall, Leyton Orient and West Ham United.During the
Second World War , Neary played as an amateur for West Ham, Finchley and then Fulham, before joining the Army. While stationed inIreland he played for Glentoran. After the war he joined Q.P.R. and featured in 30 regional wartime matches, scoring 23 goals.When regular football recommenced in 1946-47, Neary continued with Q.P.R. before moving to West Ham for £4000 in January 1947. His time there was curtailed after reportedly hitting an opponent who had fouled him, out of sight of the referee. ["Leyton Orient: The Complete Record", N Kaufman & A Ravenhill, Breedon Books, 2006.] West Ham sold him in November 1947 at a £2000 loss to Leyton Orient, where he became the club's record goalscorer at that time, with 25 goals during the 1948-49 season. He was noted for the power of his shooting, and once knocked out opposing goalkeeper Archie McFeat of Torquay United, who got in the way of a Neary drive. ["Leyton Orient: The Complete Record", N Kaufman & A Ravenhill, Breedon Books, 2006.]
Refusing advances from Newcastle United, Neary moved back to Q.P.R. for £7000 in October 1949, but it was a further move in August 1950, this time to Millwall for £6000, which led him to 50 more league goals in 123 League appearances.
Neary finished his career playing non-league football at Gravesend in May 1954, and died in London in 2003, aged 82.
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
