Farewell Matty

Matty Clarke is the latest member of last season’s squad to leave and will play his football elsewhere next term.

The popular fullback has spent the last four seasons at Borough Park and amassed 130 appearances during that time.

He joined the club a month into the 2019-20 campaign, having previously served Kendal Town, Penrith and Bradford Park Avenue, making his Reds’ debut in an away game against City of Liverpool.

His first two seasons at the club were interrupted because of Covid but he made up for it during 21-22 when he was an ever-present in the league and made 42 appearances in total.

He only scored two goals during his time at the club but both were quite special and, indeed, his superb equaliser v. Warrington Rylands (April, 2022) was voted our ‘Goal of the season’.

Matty wasn’t a regular starter towards the end of last season but remained an important member of the squad and played his final game for the club in the Cumberland Cup Final at Brunton Park.

In total, he made 95 starts (76 in the League) with a further 35 appearances as a substitute.

We thank him for his excellent service and wish him well for the next chapter of his career.

Matty commented, “After 4 unbelievable years at Reds my time is up. I have loved my time here. I will be forever grateful to Workington and Danny for all of the opportunities they have given me during my time with the club and bringing me to the club. Special memories that I will take with me, but nothing will beat the feeling we had when we finally got our deserved promotion this season after narrowly missing out in previous years and the celebrations to go with it.

I’d like to thank you all, the management, the players, the committee and the fans. The support that has been shown has been class. I feel the time has come for a new challenge and one I’m looking forward to. I wish the club the best in the future. Thank you for everything.”

Manager Danny Grainger added, “Matty is a player I liked from the first time I saw him and that was the reason I was so keen to sign him up and became a huge part of our success in my first couple of seasons and last season.

Matty has been a huge part of the success we have achieved and we want to wish him nothing but good luck in the next part of his own career wherever that may take him.”