DESPITE another defeat for 1874 Northwich on Tuesday night, it was a milestone evening for their ever-loyal player/co-manager Matt Woolley.

The midfielder, who has spent just over a decade at the club, made his 400th appearance for Greens in their 1-0 loss to Hanley Town in midweek.

Here, Ben Davies pays tribute to a man who has given incredible service to ’74…

1874 have played 502 competitive games, meaning that Matt has played in an incredible 80% of their matches.

It has been a highly successful 10 years so far for Matt – he has lifted two Macron Cups and one Mid-Cheshire Senior Cup, won two promotions and played a key role in runs to the third qualifying round and the semi-finals in the FA Cup and FA Vase respectively.

Matt has proven his versatility throughout his 400 appearances, with many games covering in defence, a few up-front and even between the sticks against Hednesford Town last weekend.

It would be an understatement to say he has given his all on and off the pitch and he is well deserving of his legendary status.

Matt made his debut on December 28, 2013, away to Widnes. He replaced Steven Crane in the 79th minute and it has only been up from there.

He has scored 46 goals in his 400 appearances – an impressive tally for a primarily defensive midfielder and he has shown his reliability as penalty taker for many seasons.

In November 2023 and again in February 2024, Matt joined forces with fellow ’74 stalwart Mark Jones as interim co-manager.

Despite the difficult season, they continue to lead the squad well and they have shown what it means to be part of a football club and not just as a player.