Yize uTovey azalelwa ePitoli ngomhlaka 2 kuJulayi 1962, iTheku kulapho akhulela khona. Ufunde umatikuletsheni e-Northlands Boys ‘High School (manje eyi-Northwood) ngo-1979, wazuza i-colours yesifundazwe saseNatali kwikhilikithi, i-hockey, ibhola likanobhutshuzwayo, i-softball ne-baseball, futhi ngenhloso yokufundela ubudokotela. Kodwa izinto zashintsha. Uthando lwakhe lokuqala – lwebhola likanobhutshuzwayo – kwaba wubizo futhi ngezifundo ezimbalwa ezivela kubafowabo uMark owayesevele engumdlali osezingeni eliphezulu, uNeil wenza umsebenzi wezemidlalo owaqala ukusebenza ngo-1981 ngemuva kokuthi esayine njengomdlali osezingeni eliphezulu kwi-Durban City Club. Kusukela lapho, uTovey washintsha ekubeni ngumdlali waba ngukaputeni, umsizi womqeqeshi nomqeqeshi wamaqembu afana naMaZulu, Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns, Hellenic neBafana Bafana. Ubhekwa ngabaningi njengomunye wabadlali abaphambili bebhola emlandweni webhola laseNingizimu Afrika.
Ukugqama komsebenzi ka-Neil Tovey kwenzeka ngesikhathi eba ngumdlali wokuqala ukuba ngukaputeni weqembu lesizwe ngemuva kokwamukelwa kweNingizimu Afrika kwi-Federation International Football Association (FIFA). Kwakungalesio sikhathi lapho uNeil Tovey noClive Barker bahola khona iBafana Bafana ekunqobeni i-African Cup of Nations – umzuzu ozokwehla nakanjani njengesinye sezikhathi ezingalibaleki emlandweni webhola laseNingizimu Afrika. UTovey usedlale imidlalo engu-52 yamazwe angaphandle waphinde waba ngukaputeni waseNingizimu Afrika amahlandla angu-29. Ekhaya udlale amahlandla angaphansi kwangu-634 (umdlali webhola lezinyawo ku-PSL) ngesikhathi seminyaka engu-20 esebenza.
Uchithe iminyaka eyishumi ebholeni kikanobhutshuzwayo kwi-Kaizer Chiefs wagcina ethathe umhlalaphansi kule kilabhu. UTovey uphinde wadlalela amaqembu afana ne-Aamazulu (iminyaka emihlanu) ne-Durban City (iminyaka emihlanu) – amahlandla angu-341 kwi-Kaizer Chiefs, amahlandla angu-117 kuMaZulu kanye namahlanja angu-174 ne-Durban City. Ngemuva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi ekudlaleni, uTovey wasala ngaphakathi ezinhlakeni zebhola futhi waphasa i-UEFA A License yakhe ngamamaki aphakeme akhiqizwa yilezi zifundo.
Kodwa bekungekuhle konke. Ngo-2002 waxoshwa njengephini lomqeqeshi eqenjini lesizwe labaneminyaka engaphansi kwengu-20. Wabuyela ngokushesha , nokho, ngesikhathi ejoyina esindisa i-Hellenic yaseKapa ebihleli ezansi kweligi ye-Castle Premiership. Wayishiya le kilabhu ngemuva kokuthengwa ngumndeni wakwaNdlovu ozinze e-Benoni wajoyina i-Sundowns. Impumelelo kaTovey njengomqeqeshi ifaka ukunqoba i-Rothmans Cup (amahlandla amahlandla amathathu), i-Castle League (amahlandla amabili), i-Telkom Charity Cup ne-COSAFA Cup (iqembu lesizwe labesifazane). UTovey uqeqeshe amaqembu aze afinyelela ezingeni le-Bob Save Super Bowl Finalist, i-MTN 8 Semi-finalist ne-Nedbank Cup Finalist.
Impumelelo eyengeziwe ifaka phakathi ukusiza i-Sundowns ukuthi ilungele i-African Champions League, ukusindisa i-Hellenic FC ekwehlisweni nasekuqeqesheni iqembu le-National Women’s U20 ukuthola iziqu kwi-World Youth Championship ka-2002.
Njengamanje uTovey uhlala eGoli nonkosikazi nezingane ezintathu (amadodakazi amabili nendodana) wathi bonke babambe iqhaza elikhulu ukumeseka emsebenzini wakhe. Ngo-27 Juni 2015 waba ngumqondisi wezobuchwepheshe weqembu lebhola likazwelonke laseNingizimu Afrika.