Neil Tovey

{{Short description|South African soccer player and coach}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Neil Tovey | image = | fullname = Neil Robert Tovey | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|07|02|df=yes}} | death_date = | birth_place = Pretoria, South Africa | height = 1.81 m<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/update/3691|title=Is This Why Bafana Can't Stand Tall?|access-date=17 February 2016|archive-date=21 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021030504/http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/update/3691|url-status=dead}}</ref> | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = Central defender | youthyears1 = 1980–1981 | youthclubs1 = Virginia United | years1 = 1981–1985 | clubs1 = Durban City | caps1 = 174 | goals1 = 17 | years2 = 1986–1989 | clubs2 = AmaZulu | caps2 = 117 | goals2 = 14 | years3 = 1990–1999 | clubs3 = Kaizer Chiefs | caps3 = 341 | goals3 = 27 | totalcaps = 634 | totalgoals = 58 | nationalyears1 = 1992–1997 | nationalteam1 = South Africa | nationalcaps1 = 52 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1998–1999 | managerclubs1 = Kaizer Chiefs {{small|(player-assistant coach)}} | manageryears2 = 2000–2001 | managerclubs2 = Mamelodi Sundowns | manageryears3 = 2001–2002 | managerclubs3 = AmaZulu | manageryears4 = 2003–2004 | managerclubs4 = Hellenic | manageryears5 = 2005–2006 | managerclubs5 = Mamelodi Sundowns | manageryears6 = 2009–2010 | managerclubs6 = AmaZulu | manageryears7 = 2010 | managerclubs7 = Mpumalanga Black Aces | manageryears8 = 2011–2012 | managerclubs8 = Thanda Royal Zulu | manageryears9 = 2015–2020 | managerclubs9 = South Africa {{small|(Technical Director)}} }}

'''Neil Robert Tovey''' OIS (born 2 July 1962) is a South African soccer coach and former player and also brother of former footballer Mark Tovey. He was born in Pretoria. He holds the record for most appearances in the National Soccer League.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neil Tovey speaks from experience after Bafana Bafana draw |url=https://www.ecr.co.za/shows/east-coast-breakfast/neil-tovey-talks-experience-bafana-tie/ |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=ECR}}</ref>

==Early career== Tovey was born in Pretoria but grew up in Durban. He had been playing soccer since 1969.<ref name="soccerladuma.co.za">{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/get-published-show/the-coach-for-chiefs/160788|title=The coach for Chiefs}}</ref> He aspired to be a doctor before opting to play professional football. His brother Mark who was also a footballer used to give him football lessons.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/article-602286/Neil-Tovey |title=Neil Tovey |encyclopedia=Kids Encyclopedia |publisher=Britannica}}</ref> He was also coached at junior level at Juventus Durban by Clive Barker.<ref name="soccerladuma.co.za"/>

==Club career== ===Durban City=== He made his professional debut for Durban City in 1981 and won the 1982 and 1983 NPSL titles under Clive Barker and played 176 league games.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=KickOff |title=Neil Tovey in charge at Mpumalanga Black Aces |url=https://www.snl24.com/kickoff/sanews/neil-tovey-in-charge-at-mpumalanga-black-aces-20100930 |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Kickoff |language=en-US}}</ref> Tovey was transfer listed on 12 March 1986.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/Kickoff_December_2015/Kickoff_December_2015_djvu.txt?_e_pi_=7,PAGE_ID10,1598978198|title=Full text of "Kickoff December 2015"}}</ref>

===AmaZulu=== He scored on debut in a 2--1 win over Arcadia Shepherds in Durban on 4 April 1986. He also scored in a 5--1 win over Kaizer Chiefs on 8 June 1986 in what became Chiefs' worst loss ever.<ref name="archive.org"/> He stayed until 1989 and played 117 league games.<ref name="auto"/>

===Kaizer Chiefs=== He joined Chiefs in 1990 and took over captaincy from Howard Freese in 1992 wearing the number 9 jersey. In the same season, Tovey got a record 52 starts which is still a record.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speakersofnote.co.za/speakers.php?action=view&spid=350 |title=Meet the Speakers |website=www.speakersofnote.co.za |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529001357/http://www.speakersofnote.co.za/speakers.php?action=view&spid=350 |archive-date=2015-05-29}}</ref> He was converted to defence by Philippe Troussier. He led Chiefs to cup victory scored two very important goals in the Rothmans Cup against QwaQwa Stars and Umtata Bush Bucks.<ref name="rsssf.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zaf99.html|title=South Africa 1998/99}}</ref> He played 341 league games for Chiefs.<ref name="auto"/> He played 362 matches and scored 32 goals in all competitions.<ref name="soccerladuma.co.za"/> In the very last match of his career and his last two touches Chiefs colours resulted in a goal in a 5–1 win over Dynamos on 9 June 1999.<ref name="rsssf.com"/>

==International career== Tovey played for South Africa national football team and won 52 caps without scoring.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Passo Alpuin, Luis Fernando |author2=Tabeira, Martín |name-list-style=amp |title=South Africa – International Appearances|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/zaf-recintlp.html|date=28 May 2009|website=RSSSF |accessdate=21 August 2009}}</ref> He captained the team 29 times.<ref name="auto"/>

==Coaching career== Tovey coached Banyana Banyana to a COSAFA Cup win in 2002.<ref name="soccerladuma.co.za"/> Tovey saved Hellenic from relegation in the 2003–04 season.<ref name="ulwazi.org">{{cite web|url=http://ulwazi.org/index.php?title=Neil_Tovey|title=Account Suspended}}</ref> He got his UEFA A licence with a 90% pass in Hennef, Germany, which were the best marks since 1998.<ref name="soccerladuma.co.za"/> On 27 June 2015 Tovey became technical director of South Africa national football team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33298720|title=Former captain Neil Tovey named as SA's technical director|date=27 June 2015|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life== Tovey lives in Johannesburg with his wife Nadine Tovey and has three children, Bianca (b. 1991), Jessica (b. 1993) and Sheldon (b. 1997).<ref name="ulwazi.org"/> His second daughter Jessica was a Miss Teen SA finalist in 2011 where Tyra Banks shared a picture of her on Instagram. Sheldon wears a hearing aid and has impaired speech because oxygen was cut off from his brain after being burnt by scalding water in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.you.co.za/entertainment/toveys-girl-has-what-it-takes/|title=Tovey's girl 'has what it takes'}}</ref> On 23 February 2015, Tovey was admitted to ICU after suffering from three heart attacks during a game of squash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.news24.com/sport24/Soccer/BafanaBafana/Neil-Tovey-in-intensive-care-20150224|title=Former Bafana Bafana skipper in intensive care}}</ref> Tovey suffered a further heart attack in October 2016, and was admitted to hospital.<ref name="s24_ha2">{{cite web | url=http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/BafanaBafana/former-bafana-skipper-neil-tovey-suffers-heart-attack-20161016 | title=Former Bafana skipper Neil Tovey suffers heart attack | publisher=Sport 24 | accessdate=16 October 2016}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{NFT player|pid=1724}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tovey, Neil}} Category:South African men's soccer players Category:South African soccer managers Category:South Africa men's international soccer players Category:AmaZulu F.C. players Category:Living people Category:1962 births Category:Kaizer Chiefs F.C. players Category:1997 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:Soccer players from Pretoria Category:South African people of English descent Category:1996 African Cup of Nations players Category:Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. managers Category:AmaZulu F.C. managers Category:Hellenic F.C. managers Category:Men's association football central defenders Category:Alumni of Northwood School, Durban Category:White South African people Category:Africa Cup of Nations–winning players Category:20th-century South African sportsmen