He continued to play for Appleby Frodingham for 4 seasons before leaving to join the Worcester set up in 1972.
He made his Lincolnshire debut in 1972, playing 5 minor county championship matches for the side before moving to Worcester full time.
Neale's success in drawing team performances from a side not lacking in personalities won him nomination as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1989.
Following his retirement in 1992 he has been prominent as a coach and team manager at both County (Northamptonshire and Warwickshire) and national levels (England 1999-2020).
[7] He was part of the Lincoln United side that won Division One of the Yorkshire Football League in 1974, alongside reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Vase.