Ex-Portsmouth defender: QPR's artificial pitch was like concrete - and caused my premature retirement

An ongoing back problem forced the right-back back to quit the game in December 1994 while with Pompey – at the age of 32.

He later briefly returned to feature for Watford in a Football League fixture, yet was unable to carry on professionally.

Neill was at QPR when they installed an artificial playing surface under chairman Jim Gregory in the summer of 1981.

His time at Loftus Road ended months after it had been torn up and replaced with grass in April 1988, when he moved to Fratton Park.

In an interview with Played Up Pompey Three, Neill admitted the artificial pitch took its toll on his body.

And the popular former Blues defender eventually had to hang up his boots after 260 games and five goals for the club.

‘In the summer of 1993, Guy Whittingham moved to Villa and we didn’t really replace him, while I was beginning to suffer from a back problem which would ultimately force my retirement at the age of 32,’ he told Played Up Pompey Three.

‘The injury first flared in September 1989, during a 1-1 draw at Bradford City under John Gregory. I was running down the line and suddenly it felt as though a bolt had struck my leg, forcing me off with a hamstring problem.

‘Back in the dressing room, after getting out of the shower, I bent down to put my shoe on and the physio, Neil Sillett, was alarmed. “That can’t be hamstring then, it must be your back,” he said. “You wouldn’t be able to do that if it was a hamstring”.

‘So I was sent to a back specialist, who diagnosed two worn discs, requiring the attention of a chiropractor every week, which seemed to do the trick, enabling another couple of seasons.

‘However, as my career continued, the problem kept returning, taking longer on each occasion to recover. I would drive down to the ground for an hour or two, receive treatment, eventually coming back into training feeling okay, only for it to later recur.

‘It was so frustrating, like banging your head against the wall, and, as time wore on, became a very low period for me, personally.

‘I’m told John Terry sustained a similar thing at Chelsea, they sent him away for keyhole surgery on a herniated disc in 2006, lasering the affected area of the back, and he was fine to carry on playing for another 12 years.

‘In contrast, I was in an era of football where I was informed I could undergo a massive back operation to resolve the issue – but it would be 50/50 whether successful. I wasn’t having that.

‘I was in my early 30s, had enjoyed a good career and there was no way I wanted to be a cripple - which was when I decided to retire midway through the 1994-95 season, a campaign in which I made nine appearances.

‘Although retired, I remained on the payroll until the season’s end, when my contract expired. My deal was up and the manager, Terry Fenwick, a former captain at QPR, had a chat with me, but obviously was unable to offer anything considering the circumstances.

‘It was an easy decision, I couldn’t play and wasn’t going to get fit again, not with how I was. After 260 appearances and four goals, my Pompey – and playing career – was over.

‘It turned out my final match was a 4-1 defeat to Sunderland at Fratton Park in November 1994. The driving didn’t help either, all that sitting in the car, I struggled to get out of it when I arrived home.

‘It was horrible to retire at 32, which wasn’t that old. I didn't know what to do next. I headed into coaching at QPR and briefly came out of retirement a year later, featuring for Watford in a Division Two game, lasting the 90 minutes, but was never able to kick a ball again.

‘While the routine of driving from my Middlesex home to the south coast had an impact on ending my career, I believe the real cause was playing on the Loftus Road Astroturf for many years.

‘When it was laid, we were warned it could take five years off our careers, based on findings from America.

‘That’s exactly what happened to me, the discs in my back were worn from pounding on the hard surface – and it caught up with me later in my career.

‘These days, 3G playing surfaces have a sponge-like give, you can wear boots, whereas back then it was like concrete, covered in sand.

‘We couldn’t wear boots, the surface was too hard, so it was a case of putting on trainers with pimples on, but if you fell on the Astroturf and hit your head you’d be knocked unconscious!

‘Having said that, it was lovely to play on and good for your touch – and defending. You couldn’t slide as you’d get cut to pieces, so most of us improved defensively by staying on our feet.

‘Your passing also had to be spot on, if you were a yard out it would fly past a player because the surface was so quick. That QPR pitch had its good points and we did very well on it, so we weren’t going to moan too much.

‘You have ups and downs, but that’s football in general. It’s a hard game to keep playing at the top level, so if you can hang in there it’s great.

‘I was pretty pleased with my career – apart from the ending.’

Played Up Pompey Three is priced £18.99 and available from Amazon, Waterstones, the Pompey Shop and The Petersfield Bookshop.

For player-autographed copies, with the signatures of Richard Hughes, Sammy Igoe, Martin Kuhl, Lee Bradbury or Dave Munks, email [email protected]

Meanwhile, Played Up Pompey Too remains on sale from Amazon.

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