Neville Chamberlain

Neville Patrick Chamberlain (born 22 January 1960) is an English former footballer. A forward, he scored 73 goals in 296 league games in a ten-year professional career in the Football League. He started his career at Port Vale, signing professional forms in January 1978 to become the club's first black pro. He followed his brother to Stoke City in September 1982 for a £40,000 fee. He was loaned out to Newport County and Plymouth Argyle, before moving to Newport permanently in 1984. The next year he switched to Mansfield Town, and helped the club to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86. He spent the 1987–88 season with Doncaster Rovers, before entering the non-League scene with Stafford Rangers, Worksop Town, Shepshed Charterhouse, Matlock Town, Leek Town and Rocester. He later worked in the management teams at Alsager Town and Hanley Town, and also acted as his brother's agent. Career Port Vale Chamberlain joined the Port Vale youth team after being recommended to the club by his manager at "Lads and Dads" team Burslem United. He made his senior debut for Port Vale on 31 December 1977, in a 3–0 win over Rotherham United at Vale Park. The next month he signed professional forms with the club, becoming Vale's first ever black pro. He scored his first goal against Swindon Town in a 1–0 home win on 11 March 1978, becoming Port Vale's first black goalscorer. He finished the season with two goals in ten games. Vale were relegated out of the Third Division, and manager Bobby Smith left and was replaced by his assistant, Dennis Butler. The 1978–79 season saw the "Valiants" drop to 16th in the Fourth Division, though Chamberlain's six goals in 28 games did give fans a glimmer of optimism for the future. The teenager came to prominence under short-term boss Alan Bloor in 1979–80, and he hit 11 goals in 35 games to become the club's top scorer. He hit 13 goals in 42 appearances in 1980–81 to become the club's top-scorer for a second time, with brother Mark only three goals behind him in the scoring charts. However, he then suffered a decline in form, though still managed to hit nine goals in 37 games in 1981–82, as his brother established himself as Vale's top talent. Manager John McGrath sold his brother to rivals Stoke City, and five games into the 1982–83 promotion campaign "Potters" boss Richie Barker also took the elder Chamberlain to the Victoria Ground for a £40,000 fee.