Neil Buckley

Neil Buckley
Personal information
Full name	Neil Buckley
Date of birth	25 September 1968 (age 56)
Place of birth	Hull, England
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team
1986–1992	Hull City
1990	→ Burnley (loan)
1992–1996	Brigg Town
Managerial career
2003–2008	Barton Town Old Boys
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil Buckley (born 25 September 1968) is an English former professional association football player who played as a defender. He began his career with Hull City, where he spent six seasons in the first team. During the 1989–90 season he had a spell on loan with Lancashire-based club Burnley. After leaving Hull in 1992, Buckley moved into non-League football, assisting Brigg Town, where he won the FA Vase in 1996, and North Ferriby United. Between 2003 and 2008 he was manager of Barton Town Old Boys.

Career

Buckley started his career at his hometown club Hull City, where he came through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut in January 1987 in a Second Division fixture against Plymouth Argyle. After missing the 1987–88 season, he made 23 league appearances for Hull over the following two campaigns before joining Fourth Division side Burnley on a short-term loan in March 1990. He was handed his debut by Burnley manager Frank Casper for the match away at Peterborough United. It was an inauspicious start for Buckley as the team lost 1–4, with one of the opposition's goals coming from a penalty kick that he conceded. He made four further appearances for the Turf Moor club before returning to Hull at the end of the 1989–90 season.^[1]

During the 1990–91 season Buckley established himself as a regular starter in the Hull side, scoring twice in 31 league matches. However, the season was ultimately unsuccessful for the club as they finished bottom of the Second Division and were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in six years. Buckley played just five times the following season before being released by Hull in the summer of 1992. He subsequently moved into non-League football with Brigg Town, where he remained for several years. In May 1996 he was part of the Brigg side that won the FA Vase, beating Clitheroe 3–0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.^[1] He later had a spell with North Ferriby United.

Buckley later moved into football management, joining Barton Town Old Boys in 2003. He led the team to a Central Midlands League championship in 2005–06 and earned promotion to the Northern Counties East League before resigning as manager in July 2008 due to other work commitments.^[2]

Football League statistics

Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals
Hull City	1986–87	Second Division	1	0
	1987–88		0	0
	1988–89		13	0
	1989–90		10	1
Burnley (loan)	1989–90	Fourth Division	5	0
Hull City	1990–91	Second Division	31	2
Hull City	1991–92	Third Division	5	0
Career totals			65	3

Honours

Brigg Town

FA Vase: 1996

Barton Town Old Boys

Central Midlands League champions: 2005–06

References

^ ^a ^b Simpson, Ray (1996). The Clarets Collection 1946–1996. Burnley FC. pp. 40–41. ISBN 0-9521799-0-3.
^ "Buckley Leaves Old Boys". Northern Counties East League. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2012.

[clarets-1] Simpson, Ray (1996). The Clarets Collection 1946–1996. Burnley FC. pp. 40–41. ISBN 0-9521799-0-3.

[2] "Buckley Leaves Old Boys". Northern Counties East League. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2012.

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