Neil Dewar

Neil Hamilton Dewar (11 November 1908 – 10 January 1982) was a Scottish footballer who played for Third Lanark, Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday and the Scotland national team. He usually played as a forward and had a prolific goalscoring record.

Early life Born in Lochgilphead, Argyllshire, Dewar began his working life as a trawler fisherman.

Playing career

Third Lanark Dewar signed for Third Lanark after a successful trial in October 1929, shortly before his 21st birthday. In his second appearance for Scotland, the 3–1 win over France in an International Challenge Match the following month, Dewar scored a hat-trick. Despite going on to score 14 goals in 36 games for the Red Devils, he was unable to adapt to the club's playing formation and left Old Trafford later the same year.

Sheffield Wednesday Dewar signed for First Division Sheffield Wednesday on 29 December 1933 in an exchange deal that saw George Nevin and Jack Ball move in the other direction across the Pennines. The deal was valued at £3,000 and was criticised by some Wednesday fans as Ball was a prolific goalscorer for the Owls. In 1945, the couple had a second son, Ross, who went on to serve with the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment for 37 years.

On the pitch, Dewar proved to be a good purchase for Wednesday manager Billy Walker, with the striker going straight in to the team and scoring on a regular basis. Despite only joining the club halfway through the season, he finished his first term at the club as joint top goal scorer (with Harry Burgess and Mark Hooper) on 13 goals.

Despite playing in less than half of the club's matches in the 1936–37 season, Dewar managed to repeat the feat, scoring 10 goals in a poor season for Wednesday. He made a total of 95 appearances for the Owls, scoring an impressive 50 goals, however the club were in decline and after the end of the 1936–37 season, with Wednesday relegated to the Second Division, he decided to return to his native Scotland after never really settling in England.

Return to Scotland On 19 July 1937, Dewar re-signed for Third Lanark in a club-record breaking £1,800 deal. He went on to play a further two years of league football at Cathkin Park before retiring from playing football in 1940. He then moved back to his home village of Lochgilphead to work in the countryside, but despite officially hanging up his boots, he continued to play football at amateur level, playing for a veteran side named Old Crocks as late as 1947. He died on 10 January 1982.