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Post by pauld on Apr 19, 2023 5:51:36 GMT
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Post by pauld on Apr 19, 2023 14:43:13 GMT
I've realised that not everyone might get the significance: to me it seems like yesterday but it was actually a quarter century ago!
Mathew came to Worthing in the late 1990s, when Sammy Donnelly was manager and Beau Reynolds chairman, and, as a director, helped drag us off the floor (again).
I think his most important contribution to Worthing was realising that the club needed to modernise to survive; he was instrumental in making sure that we were run as a limited company rather than as a members' club, the latter having been vital to keep us going since the 1960s (see my post about Morty) but which now needed to make way for a structure that would encourage more investment in the club (and provide added legal protection).
I believe that this action helped to form the basis of what we are seeing at Worthing today.
Mathew forged links with the Albion, offering to host their reserve team fixtures at Woodside Road after they left the Goldstone, and this resulted in the Seagulls sending their full first-team squad to play us in what was, for several years, their first pre-season match in this country. These matches regularly attracted over 2000 fans and, one year, more than 3000.
He even got a souvenir from the Goldstone for our club; one of the clocks that the Albion used to have displayed in their ground. Unfortunately, he got the one that didn't work!
He was a life-long Gooner, and managed to persuade Arsenal to send teams to play us in a couple of lucrative friendlies.
One of his pet hates was penalty shoot-outs, and I remember him getting more and more nervous as extra-time neared its end in the FA Cup replay at Dover in 1999 with the score still 0-0, because he knew he wouldn't be able to watch if it went to penalties. Luckily Tony Holden popped up with a goal and we were on our way to Rotherham.
So you can imagine what he felt like when the FA Trophy replay at Thame United the following season went to penalties and the directors who had stayed behind at Woodside Road for a social event asked him to give them a running commentary.
Mathew was one of the good guys and could often be found standing with us behind the goal at away matches, so many fans from that era will have fond memories of him.
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Post by Devon Rebel on Apr 19, 2023 17:34:22 GMT
Such sad news. As you said Paul. Matthew was one of the good guys and very well respected by the die hard supporters at that time.
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Post by broadwaterred82 on Apr 19, 2023 18:05:20 GMT
Very sad news.
I knew of him well.
He was a good man and a great director.
My sincere condolences to his family.
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Post by Keithsson on Apr 20, 2023 6:17:04 GMT
A tribute from the club... Club Site - Link |
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harty
Reserve Team
Posts: 249
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Post by harty on Apr 22, 2023 9:02:10 GMT
When we hit rock bottom in 2014, and were looking at folding mid season ( Thankfully George arrived) he was extremely helpful and non judgmental in what we could and couldn’t do during the one of the darkest periods in the clubs history.
RIP Matt.
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Post by Kenty in Weardale on Apr 22, 2023 9:47:33 GMT
When we hit rock bottom in 2014, and were looking at folding mid season ( Thankfully George arrived) he was extremely helpful and non judgmental in what we could and couldn’t do during the one of the darkest periods in the clubs history. RIP Matt. Thanks for sharing that Harty; I was attending every game then and spoke of course to other fans yet wasn't aware of his help at that time |
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