Neil%20Firm
Neil Firm
English footballer
Neil John Firm (born 23 January 1958) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He played in the Football League for Leeds United, Oldham Athletic and Peterborough United, and played non-league football for Ramsey Town and Diss Town.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil John Firm[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1958-01-23) 23 January 1958 (age 66) | ||
| Place of birth | Bradford, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 0000–1980 | Leeds United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1980–1982 | Leeds United | 12 | (0) |
| 1982 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1982–1986 | Peterborough United | 72 | (3) |
| Ramsey Town | |||
| Diss Town | |||
| Total | 93 | (3) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Firm was born in Bradford, and signed his first professional contract with Leeds United in January 1976.[1][3] He made his first team debut in an away match to Manchester City in February 1980,[4] and joined Oldham Athletic on loan in March 1982, for whom he made 9 appearances.[1] He made 12 league appearances in total for Leeds United.[1]
In the summer of 1982, he joined Peterborough United for a fee of £15,000, linking up with manager Martin Wilkinson, who was assistant manager at Leeds United while Firm played there.[4] He was a regular player there,[4] and made 72 league appearances, scoring three goals,[1] but retired from professional in January 1986 due to a prolonged knee injury.[4]
He subsequently played non-league football for Ramsey Town and Diss Town.[4]
Firm moved to Norfolk in 1986 and ran a pub in Billingford, near Diss. He joined Norfolk Constabulary in 1988, and worked as a Police Constable in Thetford before being promoted to a detective.[4]
- "Neil Firm". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- Rollin, Jack (1981). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1981–82. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 196. ISBN 0-362-02046-9. OCLC 868301130.
- "Firm: Neil John (Neil)". www.ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- Walsh, Peter (30 August 2011). "Former Leeds United defender becomes Norfolk detective". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- Neil Firm at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database