Domineering centre-half formed a formidable partnership with Jason "Smudger" Smith which saw Swansea set numerous defensive records
During the late nineties and early "noughties" (god I hate that term), Swansea developed a famously stingy defence which usually consisted of Roger Freestone in goals, Steve Jones at right-back, Matthew Bound & Jason Smith in the centre and Michael Howard at left-back.
This defence helped the Swans win the 1999/2000 Third Division, as well as breaking numerous records along the way. They surpassed their predecessors by claiming the record for most league wins in a row (nine), clean sheets in a row (eight), and clean sheets in a season (twenty-two), which stood until Dorus De Vries bettered it a few years ago. In fact, the Swans only conceded thirty-two goals in fourty-six games that season as they ground their way to the title. Stingy indeed.
I got the chance to catch up with Matthew to ask him about his time at the Swans, as well as anything else interesting I'd managed to dig up...
Hi Matthew - you started your career at Southampton in the early nineties, so that means you played with Matt Le Tissier, right?
Yeah, they had a great, great team at the time. They had Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, Tim Flowers, all the Wallace's [brothers Ray, Rod & Danny], Neil Ruddock and a few others. The problem they've had is that they've always had to sell their best players.
That seems set to change - the Swans are no doubt still licking their wounds after their last outing against the Saints. It seems Southampton have a track record for bringing youngsters through which goes back to before the current academy setup, then?
They've always had a great record of bringing players through which has stood them in good stead, and that seems to be something they've carried on into modern times.
If my fact-checking is correct you were signed for Stockport by Danny Bargera, who was one of the first foreign managers in British football. How different was it playing under him to other coaches you'd played for in the past?
Not a lot to be honest! He'd been there for years until he fell out with the owner in public and that was that. He was there one day and gone the next.
During your time at Stockport, who were in what is now League One, they were consistently pushing for the playoffs before Dave Jones led the team to promotion to the Championship, as well as reaching the semi-final of the League Cup in the same season - that must have been some year?
Definitely. Bargera had put them on the map but Dave Jones really helped take them on, he was great. They're such a tiny, tiny club with a core support of around three or four thousand people, so to achieve what they did was incredible. They managed to stay in the Championship for a couple of seasons but eventually fell away. They had players like Alun Armstrong up front, who went on to play for Middlesborough, but Stockport did so, so well to get to that level and stay there for a few years. In the cup run we put out Premiership teams in Southampton, West Ham & Blackburn Rovers, but I was injured so sadly didn't feature in that run of games.
The next season you dropped down a couple of divisions to join the Swans with Alan Cork in charge - how did that come about?
Mickey Adams is someone I knew, and he enquired about me as soon as he was appointed at the Swans, but obviously he was only there a couple of weeks and Alan [who's spent a large amount of time working with Adams] followed up on the initial enquiry. At Stockport I'd been out through injury for around a year and Gary Megson came in and brought in a lot of new players, which made me, well..."surplus to requirements", so when I was asked if I was interested in a move to the Swans it was a no-brainer - I wanted to and needed to be playing first-team football. I think I was about to play a reserve game against Rochdale, but I ended up travelling down to Swansea and signing the next day. In fairness to Megson though, he's a great guy and there was no hard feelings - it was just one of those things.
You formed one half of what I regard as one of the best centre-half partnerships I've seen at the club, which helped the Hollins-era team to a record breaking run of clean sheets. What was it that worked so well? Did you have to work at it in training or did it come naturally?
When I joined the club there were a lot of us all staying in the same B&B, and we immediately developed a great close-knit team spirit which served us well. There was a group of us who did everything together, we'd train, then go have some lunch before going to the gym and then... well, Swansea was a party town back then. From Thursday until Tuesday was non-stop - obviously that wouldn't be possible now but from that kind of thing we all bonded together which led to us all fighting for each other on the pitch.
As for Jason "Smudger" Smith, we did seem to have a good understanding from the off, but we were close on and off the field. He was the type of player who would go for literally, and I mean literally, everything, and he'd stick his head, foot, whatever into situations he really shouldn't have - often ending up with his nose splattered all over his face. We used to laugh about it, you know... "...what're you doing Smudger? You were never going to get that!" but he'd just reply that he thought he could get to it and smile.
I remember you as a centre-half who used to like to pass instead of hoof, if at all possible...?
Yeah we tried to play football, under Hollins we were trying our best but the Vetch and other pitches at that level just weren't good enough most of the time. Teams don't have money to maintain things like that, so it just wasn't possible to always play good football, and we did end up hitting it long a bit to big Jules up top (Julian Alsop).
Who was your favourite player to play with during your time at the Swans?
If you mean directly, it would have to be Smudger (Jason Smith) and Mickey Howard, obviously they'd be either side of me in our Hollins-era defence and it really was a great unit. Martin Thomas was excellent too... it was a really good squad to be involved with.
Out of current Swansea centre-halves Chico & Ashley Williams, I'd liken you more to Ash...
Chico is a bit of a fire-cracker isn't he? He's one of those players you like to just throw in and see what happens, whereas Ash is more... he keeps things simple. I think Ashley Williams is a great, great defender who in today's market is worth £10million. Considering how much the Swans paid for him that now looks a real snip, as he's gone on to be some player.
How good was it scoring the winner against Cardiff?
Yeah...yeah it was really, really good actually. Until you've played in a game like that, Swansea v Cardiff, where fans really, really hated each other, you can't appreciate it. I think given how football's gone in the last few years it's died down a little bit now, but the intensity was crazy and the fans were on top form. Roger played out of his skin and made loads of saves in the first half, and Thommo (Martin Thomas) managed to get one back before the ball luckily dropped to me five yards out, and I just smashed it as hard as I could!
I remember we went back to Quids Inn afterwards, and I don't think I paid for a drink all night. You see how much it means to the fans, and I had Bacardi Breezers, shots and all sorts popping up in front of me all night.
When you had the penalty taking duties at the Vetch, I'm sure I remember seeing you quoted as saying you just tried to hit the ball as hard as you can? Obviously you aim at the goal, but was that pretty much the thinking?
Yeah, that's true actually. When I was younger I'll be honest I just used to put my head down and hit it as hard as I could. As I got older, goalkeepers started to suss me out though, and they knew I was going to just leather it, so I had to start placing it a bit when I was at Weymouth. I only missed two though...
What was your favourite match you played in during your time at the club?
My favourite memories are of the Vetch, and of Friday night games in particular. I remember one game against Stoke where the North Bank were absolutely on fire. Stoke got a throw in down in front of the rowdy end and their players were arguing amongst themselves about who had to take it - that was how much of an effect the fans were having on our games, it was brilliant. You don't get that any more...
Another fond memory is turning up at the Vetch to find out where we were training that day. We were training on the beach for a good few months at one point...
I'm sure I remember one match where you got a red card after, if my memory serves correctly, an opposing player ran straight into your foot which was around head height, with you running straight towards him...
Yeah...that wasn't my finest moment. It was the last game of the season against Cambridge, and thank god I was wearing mouldies as opposed to studs as I'd probably have killed him! I was going for the ball though. In fairness to Johnny Hollins, he came up to me after the game and said "You had to go for it, Boundy", which was true. It was a bouncing ball on halfway and if the other guy had got there first he'd have been in on goal.
We've managed to avoid talking about it until now... Tony Petty?
Tony Petty...was a complete and utter *****. I think anyone who knew him from his time in Swansea would agree with that. We had a midweek game and the next day we got called in to meet the new owner - he was this ridiculous looking guy with an Australian Cockney accent, and straight away we were all thinking "Oh god, here we go again...". As everyone knows, he then sacked half the team and it was up to all of us to make the situation as bearable as possible.
How did you go about finding a new club? Given how resolute the Swans' defence was with yourself and Smudger guarding Roger's goal I'd imagine you had a few suitors?
I ended up going to play for Oxford under Ian Atkins, who I never saw eye to eye with really. I didn't want to leave the Swans but I'd been told I had to - despite having eighteen months left on my contract, so when Oxford came in for me - originally a loan move - I had to take it. I went there and after a little while it became apparent the Swans wouldn't have me back - I didn't really want to sign for Oxford at the time but I didn't really have a choice.
What happened after Oxford?
Towards the end I wasn't enjoying it as much and decided to go part-time - first at Weymouth then Eastleigh. If I'm honest there was a bit of added motivation behind the Weymouth move as I'd always wanted to live in Bournemouth, so I got to live there for a couple of years and that was nice. I went back to University too, before a business opportunity came up in Swansea and I'm now settled here.
You like it in Swansea then?
Yeah it's a great place, brilliant to bring kids up. It's safe, and obviously you've got all of this brilliant coastline!
What're you doing with yourself these days then?
I run a holiday cottage business called Home From Home based in Mumbles - we've been doing it for seven years now and it's going well, thanks.
Matthew, thanks for taking the time to speak to us - it's much appreciated!
No problem at all!
What a thoroughly nice chap!
Matthew runs a holiday cottage business called Home From Home, which is based in Mumbles. Check it out by clicking the link!