Johnny Matthews

Johnny Matthews
Personal information
Date of birth	27 August 1946
Place of birth	Coventry, England
Date of death	25 December 2019 (aged 73)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1965	Coventry City
Senior career*
Years	Team
1966–1979	Waterford
1979–1981	Limerick United
1981–1982	Cork United
1982–1983	Waterford United
1983–1984	Galway United
1985–1986	Longford Town
1986–1987	Newcastle West
International career
1970–1971	League of Ireland XI
Managerial career
1986–1987	Newcastle West
1989–1990	Waterford United
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Johnny Matthews (27 August 1946 – 25 December 2019)^[1] was an English footballer and manager.

Matthews started his career playing with his home club Coventry City.

He moved to

St. Patrick's Day under the impression from Jimmy Hill

that it was for just a six-week loan period. Matthews played in the last seven games scoring twice and his loan period was extended. During the following season he signed for the club on a permanent basis. In the next 13 seasons Matthews became a legend at Kilcohan Park.

In total Matthews won 5 league medals with Waterford, was awarded a 6th many years later after not playing enough games in his first season with Waterford and another with Limerick as well as 3 runners-up medals in the FAI Cup. Matthews also played in 16 European Cup matches and scored against

Celtic at Parkhead [1] and Manchester United [2]

.

He entered management with

Newcastlewest

while still a player in 1986 before returning to Waterford to take the managerial reins along with Dave Kirby in 1989. His first season in charge with the Blues brought the First Division Title in 1990.

Matthews' greatest honour was winning league honours with Waterford but his cherished memory is scoring a penalty against

English League XI in 1971 at Lansdowne Road

.

At the end of the

2012 League of Ireland season Matthews is eighth in the all-time League of Ireland goalscoring list with 156 league goals ^[2]

A noted cricketer, Matthews was a member of the Waterford Referee's Society and referees junior league matches in the Waterford Junior League maintaining his connection with soccer in the city and county.

Honours

As a player

League of Ireland:
- 1972–73
- 1979–80

As a manager

League of Ireland First Division
- Waterford United
  1989/90

References

^ "Sadness at death of soccer legend Johnny Matthews". www.limerickleader.ie.
^ "Ireland - List of Topscorers". Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.

July 2008 update on Johnny Matthews

[1] "Sadness at death of soccer legend Johnny Matthews". www.limerickleader.ie.

[2] "Ireland - List of Topscorers". Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.

[1]

[2]