How hitting the goal standard helped Neil Redfearn become a saleable asset

“Goals pay the rent,” commentator David Coleman once famously pointed out, and it was at Doncaster Rovers that the penny dropped with a young Neil Redfearn.
On target: Neil Redfearn celebrates scoring against  Liverpool at Oakwell. Picture: Gary LongbottomOn target: Neil Redfearn celebrates scoring against  Liverpool at Oakwell. Picture: Gary Longbottom
On target: Neil Redfearn celebrates scoring against Liverpool at Oakwell. Picture: Gary Longbottom

Rovers were the third of the 20 teams the Dewsbury-born midfielder played for in an incredible career which stretched beyond 1,000 games, and at Belle Vue he developed the “obsession” with what would become his trademark – finding the net.

Redfearn had just turned 21 when he joined Division Three Doncaster in 1986 after spells at Bolton Wanderers and Lincoln City which both featured relegations. It was around that time he started to realise what he and the game that became his life was all about.

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“At Lincoln, I was more of a utility player – I’d play at full-back, in midfield and out wide – but I was playing so I couldn’t really grumble,” says Redfearn, looking back on a career which would also take in Crystal Palace, Watford, Oldham Athletic, Barnsley, Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, Wigan Athletic, Halifax Town, Boston United, Rochdale, Scarborough, Bradford Park Avenue, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Frickley Athletic, Bridlington Town, Emley and Salford City, not to mention spells in coaching and management with Northwich Victoria, York City, Leeds United, Rotherham United, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Liverpool Women and Newcastle United.

Milestone: Bradford Park Avenue's Neil Redfearn celebrating his 1000 match appearence.Milestone: Bradford Park Avenue's Neil Redfearn celebrating his 1000 match appearence.
Milestone: Bradford Park Avenue's Neil Redfearn celebrating his 1000 match appearence.

Towards the end of his time at Sincil Bank, Redfearn started to go from Jack-of-all-trades to specialist.

“(Manager) Colin Murphy left (in the summer of 1985) and John Pickering didn’t last long as his replacement, but George Kerr started playing me more in midfield,” he recalls.

When Lincoln were relegated to Division Four in 1996, Redfearn moved again.

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“Donny came in for me and it was a little bit closer to home,” he says. “It just seemed like a really good move. I lived in Sprotborough, just outside Doncaster, and I loved it there. I played on the right side of midfield and was scoring regularly.

“When I went there, I worked out pretty quickly as a midfielder if you got into double-figure goals every season you were a saleable asset and I became obsessed with scoring goals.”

That ability, the most precious in the game, often seems God-given, but Redfearn put a lot of hours perfecting it with his dad, former Bradford Park Avenue, Halifax and Bradford City midfielder Brian. His reward was 14 goals in his only season with Doncaster.

“I used to work hard at it with my dad,” he explains. “If we had a home game, that morning I would find a pitch, put a net up and have half-an-hour’s finishing practice.

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“We used to work on what my dad used to call ‘pitch geography’ – when you receive the ball, whoever’s in the way you should know where the goal is. I used to work on it quite a lot.

“During those relegation seasons I realised it was a team game but within that there are individuals and you’ve got to strive to do your job. I worked out pretty quickly if there’s you and me vying for one position and you’re playing well and I’m not, you’re going to be in the team and I’m not.

“I’ve played over 1,000 games and that means you’ve got to be playing well enough to be picked 1,000 times. There are lots of good players in the game so just to have played that many games is an achievement.”

Having since worked at youth level with York, Leeds and Newcastle, Redfearn has seen first-hand the very different way today’s would-be professionals are raised.

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“I probably couldn’t have had a better grounding,” he says, looking back. “I think I always had the ability to play even at the highest level but I added a know-how and an understanding of how to compete and play at different levels.

“Academies are very protected environments which don’t expose you to the rigours of winning football. I had a crash-course in it.

“I remember one game for Bolton when I was 17 giving the ball away and Archie Gemmill scored. I came in afterwards and apologised but I got the old, ‘Sorries are no good to us’ and there was a bit of an argument because I’d just lost everyone their win bonus.

“We had really experienced players like Tony Henry, Seamus McDonagh, Paul Jones and Alan Gowling and at half-time the dressing room would sort itself out, we didn’t really need John McGovern, the manager. You don’t see it that much now, we’re very studious. Half-time is about getting three major points across.

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“Bolton got relegated from Division Two in 1983 and when I found myself out of the team, a couple of sides came in for me. I’d got used to first-team football and I wanted more of it. Initially I went to Lincoln City on loan but I took to the manager, Colin Murphy. We were a big, physical side but we had good footballers as well and I found a niche for myself and got to understand what managers wanted.

“I got 14 goals in my season at Doncaster and that maybe got me my move to Crystal Palace. There was interest from Bobby Gould at Wimbledon, who were a First Division side while Palace were in Division Two, but I was so impressed with Steve Coppell, I signed for Palace.”

The harsh world of 1980s football was a long way from today’s game.

“There are fewer characters now but the way they’re coached and what’s expected of them doesn’t encourage characters,” reflects Redfearn. “Then we just did as we were told or someone else would do it. Football’s got 10 times better since those days but some basic principles of the game will never change.”

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