Neill Roberts is a retired South Africa

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

forward who spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. Roberts spent seven years as a professional in South Africa. In 1979, Roberts signed during the season with the

Atlanta Chiefs The Atlanta Chiefs were an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The team competed in the National Professional Soccer League (1967), National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967 and the North American Soccer League ...

of the North American Soccer League and promptly scored fourteen goals in nineteen games. During the offseason, the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tie ...

purchased his contract from the Chiefs. However, his goal production dropped with the Rowdies. He played the 1980 and 1981 outdoor seasons with the Rowdies, scoring twelve goals in fifty-three games. Following the 1981-1982 indoor season, the Rowdies sent him to the Edmonton Drillers. Roberts began the 1982 season in Edmonton before being sent to the Toronto Blizzard in June. He was the league's 6th leading scorer in 1982 with 42 points in 12 games. Before the 1984 season, the Rowdies acquired Roberts. He was the 15th leading scorer in 1984 with 23 points in 23 games. He was the league's 24th all-time leading scorer with 156 points in 143 career games. At the end of the 1984 outdoor season, the Rowdies sold Robert's contract to the

Chicago Sting The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...

as the Sting prepared to enter the Major Indoor Soccer League. The move to the Sting also saw Roberts move to the backline as Chicago coach Willy Roy converted Roberts to a defender. On 1 March 1986, the Sting sold Roberts contract to the Wichita Wings for $30,000. The Wings released him at the end of the season. In November 1987, Roberts signed as a free agent with the

Minnesota Strikers The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/ St. Paul metrop ...

. The Strikers released him in 1988. In 1990, he joined the newly established, independent amateur club, the

Minnesota Thunder Minnesota Thunder was an American professional association football, soccer team based in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. T ...

.Sunny ''outlook – Thunder awaits soccer boom'' Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities – Friday, 3 August 1990 Roberts currently coaches the U-11 (Mutiny) boys team of F.C. Tampa youth soccer organization in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

References

External links

NASL/MISL stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Neill 1954 births Living people Soccer players from Durban South African people of British descent American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Atlanta Chiefs players Chicago Sting (MISL) players Edmonton Drillers (1979–1982) players Eredivisie players Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States FC Amsterdam players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Minnesota Thunder players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Sacramento Gold (1976–1980) players South African expatriate men's soccer players South African expatriate sportspeople in Canada South African expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands South African expatriate sportspeople in the United States South African men's soccer players Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993) players Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984) players Wichita Wings (MISL) players Men's association football defenders Men's association football forwards 20th-century South African sportsmen