Coaches Profile : Lee Matthews

Name : Lee Matthews

Age : 40

Birth town : Romford

Family : Wife Lynsey, sons Max and Sam

What football team do you support?: West Ham and Dagenham

Football background: Played from a young age as centre back. Had a football apprenticeship at Southend United. Played 6 & ½ years at Purfleet (now Thurrock FC). Sold to Dagenham & Redbridge for £8,500 where I played for 6 years. Sold to Hornchurch for £15,000 where I spent 11 months. My last 1 & ½ years was at Grays Athletic.

Most memorable football moment: Most memorable and bitter sweet was playing for Dagenham against premiership Charlton at the Valley in the 3^rd round of the FA Cup. We were 4 minutes away from beating them when they sneaked a deflected goal to grab a draw. We lost 1-0 in extra time in the replay.

Who will win in Rio? Germany

Sporting Achievements: 

Senior club honours-

Southend - 90-91’ = Essex senior cup winners

Purfleet – 91-92, = Isthmian div 2 champions, league cup winners. 93-94’ = Isthmian div 1 runners up. 94-95’ = Essex Thameside trophy winners.

Dagenham – 98-99’ = Guinness Book of Records = 12 games/ 1144 minutes of football (more than 19 hours) without conceding a goal. 99-00’ = Ryman Premier Champions. 00-01’ = Essex Senior Cup winners, Ryman Charity Shield Winners, FA cup 3^rd round, Conference 3^rd place. 01-02’ = conference runners up, FA cup 3^rd round. 02-03’ = Conference play-off finalists, FA cup 4^th round, broke Conference record of 11 consecutive wins.

Hornchurch – 03-04’ = promotion to Conference South

Grays – 04-05’ = Conference South Champions, FA Trophy Winners, 05-06’ = Conference play-offs, FA Trophy winners, equalled Conference record of unbeaten start to season, FA cup 2^nd round.

Personal honours: 96-97’ = Purfleet Supporters Player of the Year. 98-99’ = Dagenham Club Player of the Year. 00-01’= Conference League Player of the Year, FA XI selection, Dagenham Supporters Player of the Year, Dagenham Club Player of the Year, Half-way Line Posse Player of the Year. 02-03’ = Non-League Directory merit award, 3^rd place in Dagenham Club Player of the Year. 2014 = Football League poll – 2^nd place Dagenham’s greatest ever captain, 4^th place Dagenham’s greatest ever player.

Hobbies / Interests: Family, football, D.I.Y

Favourite food: Fillet steak and stilton.

Favourite drink: Lager or McDonalds chocolate milkshake

Favourite Movie / TV Program: Gladiator

Favourite music / group / song: anything 80’s

One piece of advice you would give one of the Under 6’s: Try your hardest and don’t give up.

One thing about you that no-one would know: I lost my two front teeth in a collision during a match… the next day they were found embedded in the opposition player’s head!