Neil Matthews RIP
Phil Brennan pens a wonderful tribute to an important member of Danny Bergara’s promotion-winning side, who sadly passed away this week
Sunday 14 May 2023
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Sunday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
Following the sad news earlier this week that Neil Matthews had lost his battle with cancer, today we pay tribute to the former County striker with this lovely piece from Phil Brennan.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Thorneycroft Solicitors. A big thank you to Mark, Natasha and all the team.
Des Junior
Like many other Stockport County fans I hadn’t paid any attention to the Halifax Town team on that gloriously sunny day in May back in 1990.
My thoughts were completely on the fact that should County win and Southend fail to do the same at Peterborough, we would claim the last automatic promotion place and be leaving the likes of Halifax behind after more than 20 years of following our hometown team in the bottom division.
It seemed like the whole of Stockport had descended on The Shay that day. We had supporters on three sides of the ground, each and every one of them in party mood; that is until the home team’s centre-forward unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside the box into the corner of Scott Barrett’s net after 22 minutes.
In fairness to the lad it was a great strike, but it wasn’t what we were expecting. After all, Town were second bottom and had only just avoided relegation into non-league football a week earlier.
Things got worse for the travelling hordes when news came through at half-time that Southend were 2-0 up at London Road and if results stayed the same County would be in the play-offs.
Late in the second half Chris Beaumont levelled the scores and just three minutes later Ian McInerney stepped inside his marker and rifled County into the lead. It was a goal that was celebrated like no other for many a year.
Hundreds of the travelling supporters celebrated by invading the pitch, whilst the thousands off the pitch were imploring them to return to the stands, worrying that the game would be abandoned. I remember seeing several County supporters giving the home team’s No 9 some verbal stick as they left the pitch.
At the final whistle the pitch was once again invaded and with the news spreading that Peterborough had levelled the scores against Southend, promotion was celebrated by fans and players alike.
In typical County fashion the news was incorrect, Southend had held their nerve and taken the last promotion slot.
County would then lose 6-0 on aggregate to Chesterfield in their first ever shot at the play-offs and just to rub salt in our wounds, our top scorer Brett Angell moved to Southend shortly afterwards.
Soon after it was reported that County had returned to The Shay and paid a club record fee of £70,000 for Angell’s replacement, the aforementioned No 9 whose name was Neil Matthews.
Unfortunately our new striker picked up an injury in pre-season training which forced him to miss the opening game of the campaign, a rapid return to The Shay, which was a dull goalless encounter that was screaming out for a repeat of his strike just weeks before.
With Paul Williams taking his chance to be the club’s main striker, Matthews struggled to break into the team, making the majority of his appearances from the bench in the run-up to the new year, scoring his first goal for the club in an entertaining 3-3 draw at Cardiff City in a rare start for the team.
Following several substitute appearances his return to the starting 11 saw the striker score a double in the home draw with Scarborough, his first goals at Edgeley Park.
The coming months would see him grow in confidence in front of goal and following the sale of Williams to West Bromwich Albion in March, Matthews - who had scored just six goals prior to the home game against Chesterfield in April - proceeded to equal the club record of scoring in six consecutive games.
The game against the Spireites also began a run of eight victories from the final nine fixtures, Matthews adding the final goal in a 3-1 win against the Saltergate side.
In the final run-in, Bergara added Kevin Francis to his attack of Andy Kilner, Chris Beaumont and Matthews, the big man scoring his first ever County goal in the 2-0 home win against promotion rivals Northampton Town.
On the final day of the season, unlike the previous term, County’s fate was in their own hands. A victory over Scunthorpe United would see the club promoted for the first time in 24 years.
On another gloriously sunny afternoon in May, Matthews settled our nerves with his 13th goal for the club early on and from then on the result was never in doubt.
That last game of the season would see the popular striker earn his place in County folklore as he scored again early in the second half to help the Hatters to a thumping 5-0 victory.
The man brought to Edgeley Park by Danny Bergara on the back of that stunning strike against his team on the last day of the previous campaign had repaid the Uruguayan for his faith with 14 goals in the 23 games that he started, playing a big part in County finishing runners-up in the league.
Unfortunately Matthews would soon move down the list of strikers with Kevin Francis becoming the focal point of Bergara’s team over the next few seasons. He would make just 16 further appearances, scoring one more goal, before joining Lincoln City in February 1993.
I spoke to Neil several times whilst he was at County and again when he had retired and moved into coaching. Each time I was always impressed at how humble he was about his part in what would become the starting point for years of County glory; he would always give more credit to the “bigger names” and play down his part.
Sadly the news came through that Neil Matthews had passed away earlier this week after losing his battle with cancer.
As someone who witnessed the majority of his appearances for the club I can honestly say that he will always be fondly remembered by the supporters that saw his performances for Stockport County, especially during that season.
My thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
God bless Neil x
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Today in SK
🍻 A number of our readers are off to Petersgate Tap (SK1) this afternoon for the venue’s Lambic tasting session, where they’ll enjoy such delights as Mort Subite, 3 Fonteinen and Grand Cru Bruocsella. The tasting session has now sold out, but keep your eyes peeled on The Scarf My Father Wore for some other fantastic events coming up at Camra’s 2023 Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester.
🎶 There’s free jukebox at the Nelson Tavern (SK1) between 3pm and 6pm.
🍹 The Armoury (SK3) have just launched their new cocktail menu. Mark Stott definitely wouldn’t mind a Red Wine Cobbler, and Lee Todd’s going to be getting stuck into a Lounge Lizard or two. There’s eight cocktails to try in total; head down today to see which one tickles your tastebuds!
Photo of the day
Wembley Stadium, London
Sometimes it’s quite funny seeing the team that finished highest in the table implode in the play-offs, such as Sheffield Wednesday getting stuffed 4-0 at Peterborough on Friday night. (Although it wasn’t as enjoyable seeing League Two’s highest play-off participants getting turned over yesterday.)
In Notts County’s case, however, having missed out on the title to Wrexham despite finishing on 107 points, I think most football fans were pleased to see them return to the Football League yesterday, beating Chesterfield on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Wembley.
If County fail to overturn Salford’s lead next weekend, a first Football League trip to Meadow Lane since January 2008 will be on the cards next season. On that occasion, a crowd of 4,120 saw Jim Gannon’s men concede early on, before bouncing back to claim all three points through goals from Anthony Elding and Liam Dickinson. The Hatters went on to secure promotion with their own Wembley victory, beating Rochdale in the play-off final four months later.
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It’s a great tribute to Neil that Phil , may he rest in peace . X