Matt Harrold
Encyclopedia
Matthew James "Matt" Harrold (born 25 July 1984 in Leyton
, Greater London
) is an English
footballer who plays for Bristol Rovers
. Harrold has had numerous previous clubs including Wycombe Wanderers, Southend United
, Grays Athletic
, Harlow Town
, Brentford
, Yeovil Town
, Shrewsbury Town
as well as loan spells at Grimsby Town
and Dagenham & Redbridge
.
, he was initially a product of Southend United's youth set-up, although he departed for non-league Harlow Town
. He moved his way back to the Shrimpers via Brentford
and Yeovil Town
after a long-running summer transfer saga which ended with him being signed an hour before the transfer deadline on 31 August 2006.
He scored his first goal for Southend against West Bromwich Albion
on 16 September 2006.
Harrold joined Wycombe on 1 September 2008 on a free transfer on a two year contract after being released by Southend. He went on to score his first hat trick for the club on 10 November in an FA Cup
first round match against AFC Wimbledon
, which Wycombe went on to win 4–1. Harrold was released by Wycombe on 11 May 2010, after the clubs relegation to League Two
.
In July 2010, Harrold was on trial at Swedish
Superettan
club Örgryte IS
, before joining Shrewsbury Town
.
Harrold signed for Bristol Rovers
in June 2011, for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club on his debut against AFC Wimbledon
, in which they won 3–2. His first home goal won the game for Bristol Rovers against Northampton Town.
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
, Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays for Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. Harrold has had numerous previous clubs including Wycombe Wanderers, Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
, Harlow Town
Harlow Town F.C.
Harlow Town F.C. are an English football club based in Harlow, Essex. The club currently play in the Division One North of the Isthmian League, after relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2009....
, Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
as well as loan spells at Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
.
Life and career
He is a former pupil of Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford GreenTrinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green
Trinity Catholic High School is a co-educational, Catholic comprehensive school located in Woodford Green, Greater London, England. It is split between two sites, with years 7-9 on the Lower Site, Sydney Road, and years 10-13 on Upper Site, Mornington Road. There are approximately 1750 pupils, with...
, he was initially a product of Southend United's youth set-up, although he departed for non-league Harlow Town
Harlow Town F.C.
Harlow Town F.C. are an English football club based in Harlow, Essex. The club currently play in the Division One North of the Isthmian League, after relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2009....
. He moved his way back to the Shrimpers via Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
and Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
after a long-running summer transfer saga which ended with him being signed an hour before the transfer deadline on 31 August 2006.
He scored his first goal for Southend against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on 16 September 2006.
Harrold joined Wycombe on 1 September 2008 on a free transfer on a two year contract after being released by Southend. He went on to score his first hat trick for the club on 10 November in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
first round match against AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
, which Wycombe went on to win 4–1. Harrold was released by Wycombe on 11 May 2010, after the clubs relegation to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
In July 2010, Harrold was on trial at Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Superettan
Superettan
Superettan is the second highest league in the league system of Swedish football and comprises 16 Swedish football teams. It was created in 2000. Before that, the second level league in Sweden had been Division 1....
club Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS
Örgryte IS, also commonly referred to as ÖIS, is a Swedish football club based in Gothenburg.-History:The club was founded on 4 December 1887 and participated in the first football match in Sweden on 22 May 1892. Örgryte IS has won 12 national championship titles and one national cup title. After...
, before joining Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
.
Harrold signed for Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
in June 2011, for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club on his debut against AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
, in which they won 3–2. His first home goal won the game for Bristol Rovers against Northampton Town.