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Harry Matthews is Reading’s longest serving manager. Joining the Southern League club in the mid 1890’s as secretary-manager of the Reserves, by May 1902 he had taken on that role with the first team and remained in that position until November 1922 when he was relieved of his position and replaced by Harry Marshall as Reading had lost half of their first dozen matches. By that time he had already managed Reading for two seasons in The Football League, which they joined in 1920.
He was The Royals’ first paid manager to pick his own team, albeit subject to the directors’ approval, and guided the club to their first professional trophies. A skilled administrator, Matthews saved the club from several financial disasters and in 1911, when the board voted to wind up the club, he ‘forgot’ to minute the decision and raised enough public support to enable the club to carry on. He was particularly adept at finding star players from the Army and other unlikely sources.
He had the hugely difficult task of sustaining the club during the First World War with friendlies and matches in the wartime London League. In total he managed the club for over 500 peacetime first team matches, achieving three runners-up positions in the highly competitive Southern League First Division and the Southern League Second Division title at first time of asking in 1911.
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