How Atherton became definition of a legend Runcorn Linnets stalwart Matt Atherton spoke to Daniel Brown about the club he loves
THE term ‘legend’ is thrown around cheaply these days, making it even harder to define the term.
What a legend is, however, is someone that holds the record for the most appearances at a club, was part of the team that won the first trophy since reformation – and later the first league title – and spent eight years, on and off, giving his absolute all for his side.
With all of this in mind, it would be fair to say that, almost objectively anyway, Matt Atherton is a Runcorn Linnets legend.
Atherton, who had been playing his football in the Welsh leagues, at Clitheroe and then with local side Exton Villa, has an interesting story when it comes to signing for Runcorn, involving Boxing Day, a night out and an exteammate.
“It came about [his move to Runcorn] through a player who I played with in college actually, a lad called David Sherlock and basically, I saw him on a night out around Christmas, I think it might have been like Boxing Day or one of those sorts of nights out, and I saw him and bumped into him and he just said, ‘where you playing football at the moment?’ I just said look, ‘I’m around here, I’ve just gone to University in Liverpool’,” said Atherton.
“It worked quite nice really and it was perfect for the travel and for the commute, so once he said ‘come down to training and get to know the lads, because the manager at the time, Steve Wilkes, he was from where I lived as well, so I used to go back at weekends to play football, so in terms of car sharing and all that sort of thing, it was all sorted really.”
“So, I joined in that Christmas period and I don’t think I made my debut for about five or six weeks because we had a really cold winter and then obviously I was on the bench for a few games, I wasn’t really known to the players, though I knew some of the players who I had played with growing up, so that was really good when I joined the club.”
When he joined the Linnets in 2010, the team was still sharing the impressive facilities at Witton Albion, having not moved into their new ground yet.
However, when Runcorn did eventually move into the Millbank Linnets Stadium, Atherton, who had originally joined the club as a winger, was impressed with his new surroundings and suggested that, despite losing the inaugural match at the venue, a pre-season friendly against former landlords, Witton Albion, drawing a crowd of 1,037, it was a big step forward for the football club.
He said: “We obviously gave them a real good game!
“It’s progressed so much, but even back then it was a great little setup that they started with. I remember the old clubhouse and everything about it, it was a real ‘family-orientated’ club and it was a really special moment to be part of that.”
Despite establishing himself as a regular in a Linnets side that was doing well, Atherton left the club for the first time in 2011.
While it may appear, to outsiders anyway, that he had simply ‘upped and left’ the Linnets, the situation was far more complex.
Not living in Liverpool anymore, his commute had increased significantly, not to mention the fact that the side that were interested in him, Bamber Bridge, were operating two leagues higher than the Linnets were at.
“Paul McNally came in – a new and local manager – and I was really fortunate when he came in because he pulled me to the side and said ‘we want to build a team around you and we want you to stay’ and that was great,” said Atherton.
“But as things progressed, a lot of the players who I was travelling in with left the club and I had gotten to a point where I wasn’t living in Liverpool anymore, so those midweeks where I was just travelling in from Liverpool had changed and I was doing a lot of commuting, obviously I didn’t have much money to afford it.
“It was just a chance that came about at Bamber Bridge and I just felt I needed to take it, they were a good EVO-STIK side and it was one of those where I was moving up two leagues and the money, location and everything that came with it, was a bit of a no brainer, it wasn’t that I fell out with anyone, it was just a really good opportunity.”
Unfortunately for Atherton, he had actually broken his foot in his last game for Runcorn prior to leaving, meaning that he didn’t actually play that many games with the Bridge as, despite being unaware of it, he was operating with a severe injury.
Once he had gotten himself back to fitness, and after rejoining the Linnets on dualregistration in order to play some midweek games, the midfielder officially re-signed and admitted that he ‘just felt like he wanted to be there.’
He stated: “I think I scored on my first game back, so I just felt like I wanted to be there again.
“Even though I’d only been at the club for about a yearand-a-half, I felt really comfortable at the club and with a change in players, I think the fans were used to me and wanted me back, which made me feel appreciated.”
His second spell at the Millbank would prove to be an incredibly successful one as the Linnets finally got their hands on some silverware, with Atherton discussing that, for a number of years, they had felt like the ‘nearly men.’
An impressive 3-0 victory over Formby was enough to do the job in the NWCL Challenge Cup in 2012/13, ensuring that, despite having a newly-formed history book, Runcorn at least had a trophy to add to it.
“It was fantastic [to win the first trophy], by that point, Paul McNally had left and he was brilliant guy and a lovely bloke, but in terms of the football, it probably wasn’t what the fans wanted to see,” said an honest Atherton.
“Joey Dunn came in and he was a brilliant tactician and he got us playing some really nice football. We started finishing 2nd and 3rd and started to be up there. So, to have some silverware, after being at the club 4/5 years, it was good to give something back because we’d had fans following us all over the North West, not having much successful in the cups.”
“We were always the bridesmaid and never the bride when it came to the league as well, so to go and win it, against a good Formby side, and dominate the final, was a great experience and a good starting point.”
Following the cup victory, things got even better for Atherton as he once again made history – this time, on a personal note.
During a 1-0 win on 17 September 2014 away at St Helens Town, a certain Matty Atherton came off the bench to mark his 203rd appearance for Runcorn – setting a new record and going one better than former skipper Rob Whyte.
Atherton said: “The type of person I am, personal landmarks like that were quite a big thing for me. As a player, I always appreciated managers who were honest and upfront with you and having a good relationship.
“I moved around a few clubs before Runcorn and never really got that same affiliation, whereas I always had that at Runcorn – it always felt like a second home and to get the record appearances was great because I felt like I was part of the history if the club.
“I’d probably never say I was the best player to play for Runcorn, but I think because I was adaptable, worked hard and did the right things, that’s why I got there in the end.”
After achieving the record number of appearances, the versatile midfielder once again left the Millbank and, despite leaving for another EVO-STIK side, this time for Ramsbottom, he suggested that there was probably more ‘politics’ around this departure in comparison to his first.
“I think there was more politics the second time. I think we came runners up again and we’d played some really good football under Joey Dunn – we must’ve been really good to watch, scoring loads of goals but for whatever reason, we were missing that little bit of resilience and tenacity to turn it into a title,” said Atherton.
“Joey left that summer, it was a big thing within the club and some of the fans thought I’d walked and gone with all the other players who had left, but that wasn’t the case, it was more to do with the chat I had with Joey in the summer.
“I’d initially joined as a winger but found myself at leftback, it got to a stage where I was playing but also playing second-fiddle to some other players and not playing as much as I’d hoped.
“I wanted to chat with Joey in the summer, and it only came out after because I knew he was leaving, but he basically wasn’t returning my calls for a couple of weeks, he was over in America and I thought if the manager hasn’t got time to talk to me then I need to see what’s out there.”
After Atherton had joined The Rams, and Joey Dunn departed as Runcorn Chief, Michael Ellison took charge of the Linnets.
Being good friends with Ellison, Atherton was unsurprisingly asked to return to the Millbank, however, priding himself on his loyalty to his word, he stayed at Rambsbottom for the following season.
He stated: “When Elo [Michael Ellison], who is a good friend of mine, got the job he asked me come back but I’ve always been loyal to my word and had already been training with this side, so I ended up spending a full season there – but I didn’t really get that bond and family-feel with Ramsbottom, it was a bit more of a churn-over of players, with players from all different walks of life and when your dressing room changes every week, you don’t really get that feel for it,” said Atherton.
“I started the next season at Clitheroe and Elo got back in touch saying we need a leftback, he didn’t need to ask me twice!”
● Next week: Atherton’s return to the Millbank