Johnny Matthews is a former English footballer and manager.

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

Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

.

He moved to Waterford United during the 1965/66 season on St. Patrick's Day under the impression from Jimmy Hill

Jimmy Hill

James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...

 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 6 league medals 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

Parkhead

Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...

 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1970/1105/Pg003.html#Ar00304:17663F1B064F1B063F1BE64F1BE63F1EC64F00037F0E43C50EF38215C3C717A4091F94230514350D044F0664C60AB4DD0D452D1185440625F60AA60D12263014C64714C63015164705363D06F65522F4DC2594F32594DC25F4F31604E717D4FF and Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1968/0919/Pg003.html#Ar00309.

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 Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks

Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....

 when the League of Ireland XI

League of Ireland XI

The League of Ireland XI, known as of 2010 as the Airtricity League XI for sponsorship reasons, is the representative select team for the League of Ireland which operates in the Republic of Ireland.The select first played the Scottish League XI in 1938....

 played the English League XI in 1971 at Lansdowne Road

Lansdowne Road

Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...

.

A noted cricketer in his two decades playing in the League of Ireland

League of Ireland

The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

 he scored 156 league goals http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iertops.html.

As a player

League of Ireland

League of Ireland

The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

: 7

• • Waterford F.C. - 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73
  • Limerick F.C.
    Limerick F.C.
    Limerick Football Club is an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland. The club currently play in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The first Limerick FC was founded in 1937 and has had a number of guises through its history, known at different times as Limerick FC, Limerick...
    
     - 1979–80