Billy Neil (footballer, born 1939)

{{short description|Scottish footballer (1939–2014)}}

{{similar names|William Neill (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Billy Neil

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = William Neil

| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|5|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Airdrie, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2014|9|22|1939|5|22|df=y}}

| death_place = Edinburgh, Scotland

| height = {{height|m=1.83}}

| position = Centre half

| years1 = 1956–1961

| clubs1 = Airdrieonians

| caps1 = 49

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1961–1972

| clubs2 = Queen's Park

| caps2 = 326

| goals2 = 12

| totalcaps = 375

| totalgoals = 12

| nationalyears1 = 1957–1969

| nationalteam1 = Scotland Amateur{{Cite web |url=http://www.scottish-football-historical-archive.co.uk/Forgotten%20Glories.pdf |title=FORGOTTEN GLORIES – British Amateur Internationals 1901–1974 |last=McColl |first=Brian |last2=Gorman |first2=Douglas |pages=10–22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728161609/http://www.scottish-football-historical-archive.co.uk/Forgotten%20Glories.pdf |archive-date=28 July 2017 |access-date=23 April 2018 |last3=Campbell |first3=George}}

| nationalcaps1 = 45

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1960

| nationalteam2 = Great Britain

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

}}

William Neil (22 May 1939 – 22 September 2014) was a Scottish footballer who represented Great Britain at the 1960 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/17769226|title=London 2012: GB team at 1960 Games united by love of football|date=23 April 2012|accessdate=11 October 2014|author=Paul Plunkett|publisher=BBC |work=BBC Sport}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=289724/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121155356/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=289724/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2010|title=William Neil|accessdate=5 November 2009|publisher=FIFA}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ne/bill-neil-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418042839/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ne/bill-neil-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|title=William Neil|accessdate=5 November 2009|publisher=Sports Reference}} Neil, who played as a centre half, played in the Scottish Football League for Airdrieonians and Queen's Park between 1956 and 1972.{{cite web|url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player12/billneil.htm |title=Bill Neil |accessdate=4 July 2015|website=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database |publisher=Neil Brown}}[http://www.qpfc.com/appearances/n/neilw.htm Neil, William], QPFC.com Neil holds the record for the player with the most amateur caps. He died on 22 September 2014, at the age of 75.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/william-neil.25463534 |title=William Neil |first=Matt |last=Vallance |newspaper=The Herald |location=Scotland |date=30 September 2014 |accessdate=26 October 2014}}[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/billy-neil-footballer-part-of-the-last-great-britain-football-team-to-play-in-an-olympic-games-on-9783183.html Billy Neil, footballer: Part of the last Great Britain football team to play in an Olympic Games on merit], The Independent, 8 October 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/25263 |title=Billy Neil |work=Olympedia |access-date=12 December 2021}}