Neal Robert Bishop (born 7 August 1981) is an English professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
and is player/manager of
Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Established in 1873, the club became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912, making Gainsbo ...
.
He previously played in the
Football League for
Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
,
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
,
Blackpool,
Scunthorpe United and
Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
, as well as at Non-league level for
Billingham Town,
Spennymoor United
Spennymoor United Association Football Club was an association football club based in Spennymoor, County Durham, England.
History
Spennymoor United Association Football Club was formed in 1904 as an amalgamation of Spennymoor Town and Weardale ...
,
Whitby Town,
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
,
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
and
Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic Football Club is an association football club based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The club was formed on 25 June 2007 as a phoenix club following the winding up of Scarborough Football Club. After spending the ...
. He also represented
England C
The England national football C team (previously known as the England National Game XI and the England Semi-Pro national team) is the football team that represents England at non-league level.
Formed in 1979 as the England Non-League team, it f ...
at international level.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Bishop began his career with
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
in their youth system.
After being released by Middlesbrough as a teenager he moved to
Northern League club
Billingham Town and played there for a number of years.
In a match in 2001, he played alongside his brother Craig, aged 16, and father Rob, aged 46, as the team had eight matches to play in 15 days towards the end of the 2000–01 season. He made 11 appearances and scored two goals for
Gateshead in all competitions in the 2002–03 season,
before leaving in October 2002 and re-signing for Billingham. He played for
Spennymoor United
Spennymoor United Association Football Club was an association football club based in Spennymoor, County Durham, England.
History
Spennymoor United Association Football Club was formed in 1904 as an amalgamation of Spennymoor Town and Weardale ...
in the 2003–04 season, making 38 appearances and scoring three goals.
He made 25 appearances and scored one goal for
Whitby Town in the 2004–05 season.
Scarborough
He signed for
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
of the
Conference National in March 2005 on a contract until the end of the 2004–05 season, following a week-long trial.
He made 11 appearances and scored one goal for Scarborough during this season,
and signed a deal to keep him at the club for the 2005–06 season in May.
Here, he made a name for himself and was chosen as
captain for the 2005–06 season. His lip was cut in an alleged clash with
Denny Ingram in the tunnel following a match against
Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
in November, which Bishop decided not to press charges against.
York City
He was signed by Scarborough's Conference rivals
York City
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
for an undisclosed nominal fee on 31 January 2006. He finished the season with 14 appearances and one goal for York and signed a new contract with the club in July.
He scored the winning goal against
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
with a 20-yard volley on the final day of the
2006–07 season, meaning York secured a place in the
Conference National play-offs. He was voted as the York City
Clubman of the Year for the season the same day,
finishing the season with 49 appearances and scoring three goals.
Bishop rejected a new deal at York, saying he wanted his salary to fall in line with the club's top earners.
Barnet
He signed for
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club
Barnet
Barnet may refer to:
People
*Barnet (surname)
* Barnet (given name)
Places United Kingdom
*Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below.
*East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...
in June 2007 on a
free transfer as he was out of contract with York. He said he decided to join Barnet so he could fulfil a lifelong ambition of playing in
the Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
. He made his debut against
Morecambe on 11 August 2007 and was sent off for violent conduct in his second match against
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
in the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
on 14 August 2007, which resulted in a three-match suspension. He finished the 2007–08 season with 47 appearances and two goals for Barnet,
[ and handed in a transfer request in April 2008 after turning down an improved contract with the club. Despite this, the club exercised their option to extend his contract for another season in May. He was removed from the transfer list at his own request after the start of the 2008–09 season.
]
Bishop was appointed as Barnet's captain in November after Ismail Yakubu
Ismail Salami Yakubu, (born 8 April 1985) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Southern Football League side Merthyr Town. He has been capped for the England semi-professional team.
Club career Barnet
Yakubu was bo ...
gave up the role. He suffered a fractured jaw after being kicked in the face during a match against Darlington by Ricky Ravenhill
Richard John Ravenhill (born 16 January 1981) is an English former professional footballer who is the assistant manager of Mickleover.
As a player, he was a midfielder, who began his professional career with Barnsley in 2000 after a short spell ...
in December, which ruled him out for the Christmas period. He finished the season with 48 appearances, scoring one goal,[ and was offered a new contract at Barnet.
]
Notts County
Bishop agreed to join fellow League Two team Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
on 20 May 2009, and a day later he signed a pre-contract agreement to join the club on 1 July. He made 51 appearances and scored one goal for the club during the 2009–10 season,[ in which County won the League Two title and thus ]promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
. He signed a two-year contract extension with County on 5 July 2010, which contracted him at the club until June 2012. In January 2011, he scored in County's 1–1 draw against Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
team Manchester City in the fourth round
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, which saw them earn a replay at the City of Manchester Stadium. During the closing stages of the 2010–11 season, he was named as the new team captain by Paul Ince. He finished the 2010–11 season with 51 appearances and two goals,[ and was voted by supporters as Notts County's Player of the Year.] On 10 May 2011, Bishop signed a new two-year contract with County, keeping him at the club until June 2013.[ His contract with the club was cancelled by mutual consent on 19 June 2013.
]
Blackpool
Bishop signed for Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
club Blackpool on 2 August 2013 on a five-month contract. He scored his first goal for Blackpool in a 2–1 win over AFC Bournemouth on 14 September 2013. On 2 December 2013, Bishop extended his contract at Blackpool until the end of the 2013–14 season.
Scunthorpe United
Bishop signed for newly promoted League One club Scunthorpe United on 19 June 2014 on a two-year contract.
Mansfield Town
Bishop signed for League Two club Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Stags', they play in a blue and ...
on 6 June 2018. He was released by Mansfield at the end of the 2019–20 season.
Non-League
Bishop joined Scarborough Athletic
Scarborough Athletic Football Club is an association football club based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. The club was formed on 25 June 2007 as a phoenix club following the winding up of Scarborough Football Club. After spending the ...
in September 2020 after turning down offers from a number of clubs higher in the football pyramid. After the season was annulled, Bishop announced his departure from the club in March 2021.
On 17 May 2021, Bishop joined Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Established in 1873, the club became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912, making Gainsbo ...
in a player-coach role.
On 24 May 2022, Bishop was appointed joint-manager at Gainsborough along with Damon Parkinson.
International career
Bishop was called up for the England national C team in May 2007 to play in the Four Nations Tournament. He made his debut in a 5–0 win over the Republic of Ireland on 22 May 2007, winning his second and final cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
when England beat Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
3–0 on 27 May. England won the tournament, having been unbeaten and not conceded a goal in three matches.
Personal life
Bishop married his fiancé Frances in May 2014. The couple had their first child together, Oscar, in January 2013. Frances owns and runs a Children's outlet 'Pud'. She was also a candidate on Series 12 of ''The Apprentice
''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States.
Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'' which began in October 2016./
Career statistics
Honours
Notts County
*Football League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
: 2009–10
Individual
* Notts County Player of the Year: 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
[
* York City Clubman of the Year: 2006–07][
]
References
External links
Neal Bishop profile
at the Mansfield Town F.C. website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop, Neal
1981 births
Living people
Footballers from Stockton-on-Tees
English men's footballers
England men's semi-pro international footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Middlesbrough F.C. players
Billingham Town F.C. players
Gateshead F.C. players
Spennymoor United A.F.C. players
Whitby Town F.C. players
Scarborough F.C. players
York City F.C. players
Barnet F.C. players
Notts County F.C. players
Blackpool F.C. players
Scunthorpe United F.C. players
Mansfield Town F.C. players
Scarborough Athletic F.C. players
Gainsborough Trinity F.C. players
Northern Football League players
Northern Premier League players
National League (English football) players
English Football League players
Gainsborough Trinity F.C. managers
Association football coaches