21 Questions With... Matty Bryan

Name: Matty Bryan
Age: 29
Trafford F.C. appearances: 24
Trafford goals: 6
Trafford Debut: August 18th 2018 v Prescott Cables

Matty Bryan is a 29 year old forward/left back/wing-back. Previously of Bacup, he signed for Trafford F.C. during the pre-season of 2018/19.

Matty Bryan

1. Having tried to do some research on you, I've struggled to find much about your footballing past (other than that you were at Bacup for 6 seasons). Can you provide us with more background?
Yeah you won’t find much about me, basically I’ve only ever been at Bacup. I cant even brag and say I was somewhere as a kid because I wasn’t. I got on the school football team though.

2. You were Bacup's player of the year last season and there was a lot of demand for you as a result. What in the end made you choose Trafford? 
And the leagues player of the season (just to add). Yeah there was a lot of interest but with Trafford it seemed like a genuine club and it didn’t seem like they were lying with what they were promising me, and they also didn’t peck my head; they left me to make a decision. The manager and assistant helped and their ambition was something I wanted to be part of. The pitch and the fan base played a big factor also. Overall it seemed the best choice to make.

3. You seem to have settled into the team nicely, was it a difficult/easy transition having come from NWCFL Division 1? 
Yes, I had a bit of a tricky start, I struggled to find my feet but I think as the weeks have gone on I’ve settled and feel like I’ve adjusted to how I need to be now.

4. What are the main differences you've noticed in the levels between NWC and Evostick? 
Ermm the defenders are a bit more clever for a start, if they see that you like to get in behind they drop a little and stuff like that. Not to knock the NWC but more football is played at this level, as to be expected. I think we play some great football and it must be good to watch when it’s working. Most players are in good nick too!
5. Obviously you were signed as a forward and played there at Bacup; you did however inform us all during your singing initiation that you are actually a left back. How did you come to play as a forward in the first place? 
Wish I didn't say anything now! It was Burnsys fault, he told me to say it. Clever of him really when I look back, getting rid of the competition.  It was only last season that I
started as a forward really. I tried it the season before playing with my mates and it seemed to work then I went back to Bacup and said that
I’d prefer to play as a forward, the manager gave me a try up there and I was there ever since.

6. Since you announced you were really a left back, you have mainly been picked there (or left-wing back). You do seem a natural and your pace appears to be more of a weapon. How do you feel
playing there and do you have a preference? 
I do prefer playing as a forward. I think when I was playing up there I was finding my feet and playing like a donkey so that didn’t help. The manager has seen something in me from wing back/left back so if it’s working and it’s good for the team I’m happy to keep playing there.

7. Tom (Baker) is clearly ambitious and determined. How much does that reflect onto the players? 
Yeah massively, the gaffer works hard with us on and off the pitch, everybody has got great respect for him and we know what he wants from us as a team, and I don’t think we are far away from that.

8. You are rapid. How quick can you run 100m? 
I wouldn’t have a clue you know. I’ll get Jake to time me in training and Tom can say on your marks, get set, go! (give him a little role). What time you going for? Under 12 seconds?
I reckon you'd do well to go under 12 seconds. I sense a bet coming?

9. The fan's took to your style of play immediately and as a result tried coming up with a chant in your honour (settling on one and rejecting another.) Did Bacup ever have any catchy chants about you we could steal? 
No never had a chant really. Felt like I’d made it
when I first heard my name in a chant at Trafford.

10. Speaking of the rejected song; one of our supporters did come up with a Cliff Richard inspired song about your good self (based on 'Living Doll'). He's tried singing it a few times... Have you heard the song and if so, thoughts on it? 
Yeah I’ve heard that one. I liked the running, running, running one, but you sing whatever you feels best after a few beers.

11. Despite trying to erase it from my memory, I've got to talk about Newcastle away; what was the dressing room like after that game?
Everybody was gutted and in a little bit of shock really. We were excellent for 70 minutes and the last 20 was a complete reverse of that. Footballs like that sometimes, but we still should have come off that field with 3 points.

12. Outside of Trafford, what does Matty Bryan get up to? 
I do a lot of coaching and suppose I spend time with friends and family. Pretty boring life to be fair. I don't go out like I used to, although football night out Saturday after the 3 points.

13. Football team you support? 
Manchester United - moving on!

14. Sporting Hero? 
Eric Cantona, loved his arrogance.

15. Best player you've played with? 
Never been anywhere have I and I can't say one of the lads. Don’t like to single people out like that and don’t want them getting a big head but there are some very good players in this current team.

16. And against? 
There was a good player a few weeks ago... cant remember his name.

17. Burnsy has now missed 2 of his last 3 penalties, with his last one still rising. Is he still going to be on them and where do you rank in the pecking order? 
Got to be up there now haven’t I? I've
bagged 2 out of 2 in shootouts this season. But those were his first 2 penalty misses since birth so he’ll be putting the next one in the back of the net.

18. We've found ourselves in a couple of penalty shoot outs this season, winning both and taking some smart pens in the process; who though is the last one you want stepping up? 
Curtis was doing everything in his power to not take one in the last shootout, I think the keeper was stepping up before him, so he must be bad at them.

19. You've made 24 appearances already this season (more than any other Trafford player). How important do you think it is to train right and look after yourself in between matches to be able to sustain your performances over a season? 
Nice little stat, I’ll tell my mates that one when they give me grief for playing left back. Yeah its very important, we all train very hard and recover properly so that helps and no game is easy in this league so you’ve got to be at it every game.

20. You started the season off wearing an alice band, did that bring a bit of stick and has it now been dumped? 
I was trying to be a bit edgy and grow my hair but it just wasn’t me. Wasn’t a good first impression of myself turning up in one of those so the hair had to go.

21. Who is your nomination for the next 21 Questions With? 
Hat trick hero, Darius!

Superb Matty... good luck for the rest of the season!

Glinks

Away Day - Droylsden League Cup 4.12.18

THE MONTH of Christmas kicked off with our Heroes at home (v Droylsden) followed immediately by the Supporters Club Curry Night. Squeeze into that a Man United match, add the Wilder Fury fight at 4am, and Saturday 1^st to Sunday 2^nd of December was a real test…..

So by Tuesday, with doghouses still occupied and livers still filtering the alcohol, it was proving hard to find a decent number of fit and capable Trafford Army members to make the journey to Droylsden.
There were certainly no buses heading to the East, so I climbed into a car which contained just one other person plus a load of junk for the Tip. Sniffer was that other person and he was my driver. I, like god, was his co-pilot, and off we set round the M60 Orbital in an anti-clockwise direction (wondering if we drive fast enough, would we overtake time and thus travel back in time? One for another time…...)
We decided “en route” (as they say in France) that tonight would be “dry”. One of us was driving anyway, so the other one would espouse this sacrifice and go sober too. And besides, our livers deserved it after the escapades of just 2-3 days ago.
On arrival, we paid our 8 quid. You always hand over a tenner don’t you? They always take your two quid change don’t they? You always end up with a programme you don’t read, or raffle tickets that don’t win, don’t you…..? Yes, you do.
And after parting with 20 quid between us…… Foxxy told us we were on the guest list! Someone was supposed to have informed us of this before we came in. Thanks M.B……..
The second thing we had decided “en route” (as they say in the French speaking parts of Canada) was to take up a vantage point alongside the action for this game. Get a new angle on the mighty Trafford machine. We stood by the perimeter wall just to one side of the half way line, with Foxxxxxy and Adey on one side of us, the Trafford dugout on the other, and the SC flag in front, draped over the wall.
And so to the game. We had our SEVENTH keeper of the season between the sticks – Danny Whiting from Cheadle Town. The young lad made a quality save early on to reassure everyone he was more than capable of doing the job, and upon this confidence Trafford started building a great team performance. Amongst many quality individual endeavours, Matty Bryan was incredible – pace and sharpness up and down the left flank, it was like having a left back, left midfield AND left winger all wearing No.3. His crosses were excellent and chances were being created with frightening regularity (frightening for Droylsden). The Yellow Machine should have been 2-0 up by the half hour mark. BUT as so often happens in the funny old game of football, Droylsden’s No.11 Caddick swept home a cross against the run of play to put The Bloods 1-0 at half time.
I always love half time entertainment – you know, cheerleaders, penalty shootouts, inflatable chickens, Burnsy / Langy / Jimmy smashing shots against the roof of the Pigeon End stand……
Very early in the second half, Trafford left back Matty Bryan won the ball and fed left midfielder Matty Bryan. Composed, he sent a sniper accurate ball down the flank for winger Matty Bryan, who sprinted onto it faster than Matty Bryan, then sent a cross over which flew into the back of the net for an equaliser. Well done to the Trafford striker Matty Bryan!
The Referee then started getting on our nerves, him being an “egg”. Rydings-Rydings was pushed in the back, but the man in black shellsuit (geddit?) gave nothing. Play immediately hatched into a Droylsden half chance that hit the post and the ball was laid on a plate to be slotted home to make it make it 2-1. The Liner then joined in the “let’s-annoy-Trafford” theme by flagging everything in yellow offside. GPO vans, road cones, grit bins, lemons, bananas, little chicks….. and a Matty Bryan equaliser. The boys were still creating chances and to be fair to Droy, they were very much in the game too. Burnsy had come on as a sub for Danny Wilkins, and the Skipper slid a chance into the back of the net to make it 2-2, YESSSSS!
Trafford were pressing for the winner in the final moments. The excitement was unbearable. Foxxxxxxxxxxy dropped his pen over the wall and onto the pitch. Gibbo rescued it for him though, just as it went to Penners…….
We then saw something never seen before – A Burns penalty MISS! He hit the POST! Droylsden scored their first so they were in the driving seat. Harry Winter netted for Trafford, then our Agency Keep Danny SAVED the next Droy spotshot!!! Trafford in the driving seat now, Droylsden following on….. We kept scoring…… Darius, Ben, Matty……. so did they….. We then saw something never seen before – A Langford penalty SCORED! (we hadn’t been confident, watching his half time shots!) and so it continued…… Declan, Ally Brown, Ross….. all scored….. and so did they. It was 7-7 when Droylsden’s Dylan Smith stepped up….. and Danny Whiting made his 2^nd penalty save of the night to send Trafford through to the Quarter Finals! Allez Allez Allez!
Me and Sniffer finished our cups of tea, Harry Winter shook our hands & said “thanks for coming lads” (TOP man!) and we said our farewells and headed back round the M60 in a clockwise direction, arriving home before we’d left...

(Blog by Emmett Brown)