Introduction
Matthew David Carrick (5 December 1946 – 1 July 1989) was an English footballer who played as a forward for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wrexham, Altrincham, Port Vale, Stalybridge Celtic, Witton Albion, Preston North End, Rochdale, Middlewich Athletic, Macclesfield Town, Droylsden, Oswestry Town, and New Mills. He made a total of 68 appearances in the English Football League, and also played in the Northern Premier League and Cheshire County League.
Playing career
Carrick began his career at Ronnie Allen's Wolverhampton Wanderers, without making a first team appearance at Molineux. He joined Jack Rowley's Fourth Division side Wrexham, and scored three goals in 24 league games in the 1966–67 and 1967–68 campaigns. New manager Alvan Williams allowed him to leave the Racecourse Ground, and Carrick moved onto Northern Premier League side Altrincham. He remained at Moss Lane for the first half of the 1968–69 season, before he signed with Port Vale in January 1969. He played in sixteen consecutive Fourth Division games at the end of the 1968–69 season, but only scored the one goal – in a 4–1 win over Brentford at Vale Park on 15 March, before being released in the summer.
He moved on to Cheshire County League sides Stalybridge Celtic and Witton Albion, before returning to the English Football League after being signed by Preston North End for a £500 fee in 1973. He played two Second Division games at Deepdale, before moving on to Rochdale. Walter Joyce's "Dale" suffered relegation out of the Third Division in last place in 1973–74, before dropping to 19th in the Fourth Division in 1974–75. Carrick scored four goals in 26 league games during his two-season stay at Spotland. He then returned to Altrincham, back in the Northern Premier League.
After a spell with Middlewich Athletic, he signed with Macclesfield Town and made his debut for the "Silkmen" away at Goole Town on 21 March 1978. He scored ten goals for the club in the final ten games of the 1977–78 season, before scoring two goals in 19 appearances in the 1978–79 season as Macclesfield finished bottom of the Northern Premier League. He went on to play for Droylsden, Oswestry Town, and New Mills.
Style of play
Carrick was described as a "fast constructive player who liked to be fully involved".
Statistics
Source:
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Wrexham | 1966–67 | Fourth Division | 19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| 1967–68 | Fourth Division | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 4 | ||
| Port Vale | 1968–69 | Fourth Division | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Preston North End | 1973–74 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Rochdale | 1973–74 | Third Division | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| 1974–75 | Fourth Division | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| Total | 26 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 5 | ||
| Macclesfield Town | 1977–78 | Northern Premier League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 1978–79 | Northern Premier League | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
| Total | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 95 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 107 | 14 | ||