Leigh Matthews to be special guest at Langwarrin football club centenary celebrations

The football legend is going back to where it all began to help MPNFL club Langwarrin celebrate its centenary.

Leigh Matthews, aged 6, when he was the club mascot for the LangwarrIn Football Club. His dad, Ray, was coaching the club at the time.

As a kid growing up on farmland in Langwarrin, Leigh Matthews proudly wore his North Melbourne jumper.

His family barracked for Essendon but Leigh took a shine to North.

“I think because Langwarrin wore their colours,” he once said.

Matthews’ father Ray coached Langwarrin in 1956-57 and Leigh spent a lot of time at Lloyd Park watching the Kangaroos play.

He was even the side’s mascot for a couple of years.

“I think there’s a picture of him in the rooms on his dad’s lap,” Langwarrin football manager Tony Collins said.

While the Matthews family moved to Chelsea in the early 1960s, there’s no doubt Leigh’s love of the game was formed at Langwarrin footy club.

AFL Legend Leigh Matthews under his statue out the front of the MCG. Picture: Jason Edwards

Matthews will return to Lloyd Park on Sunday, August 8 as a special guest at the club’s centenary celebrations.

Langwarrin will announce its team of the century on the day, culminating in months of celebrations in which it has named teams of the decade and acknowledged key people in its history.

Leigh Matthews at his old school, Langwarrin Primary, for centenary celebrations. Picture: Norm Oorloff

When Langwarrin contacted Matthews to ask if he’d like to attend, he jumped at the chance.

“He will be presenting medals to team of the century recipients and also as guest speaker chatting about his life and journey through Langwarrin, his memories and recapping the family’s interaction with the club,” Collins said.

“It’s been an amazing thing for our club to revisit our history and just give people more knowledge of what we’ve achieved over the journey and the people involved.”

Langwarrin historians Marty Roberts and Chris Bosse have worked tirelessly to detail the club’s history, and recount the feats of legendary names like Nisbet, Sales, Bosse, Zeuschner, Howes, Beus, Sienkiewicz and Bath.

“We’ve gone right back to when we began in 1920,” Roberts said.

“We didn’t have any record of any history before that at all. It’s been quite rewarding, actually.”

Leigh Matthews never played a game for Langwarrin but the club definitely claims him as a Langy lad.