Matthew Gardiner (footballer)

Matthew Gardiner

Personal information
Full name	Matthew Gardiner
Date of birth	(1974-03-28) 28 March 1974
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Team information
Current team	Worcester City
Youth career
1992	Torquay United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1993	Torquay United	7	(0)
1993–199?	Shrewsbury Town	0	(0)
199?–199?	Moor Green	?	(?)
199?–199?	Stourbridge	?	(?)
199?–2000	Halesowen Town	?	(?)
2000–2001	Hereford United	?	(?)
2001	Worcester City	4	(0)
2001	Redditch United	?	(?)
2001	Evesham United	?	(?)
2001	Hereford United	?	(?)
2001–2002	Hednesford Town	?	(?)
2002	Redditch United	?	(?)
2002–2005	Evesham United	?	(?)
2005	Worcester City	?	(?)
2005	Bromsgrove Rovers	?	(?)
Managerial career
200?	Redditch United
200?	Bromsgrove Rovers
2010–	Worcester City (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Matthew Gardiner (born 28 March 1974) is an English former professional footballer. He is currently the assistant manager at Worcester City football club (Conference North semi-professional football club).

Gardiner was born in Birmingham, but began his career as an apprentice with Torquay United, turning professional in July 1992. He made his league debut in September the same year, coming on as a substitute for Danis Salmon in a 2-0 defeat away to Bury, but left Plainmoor the following summer after only 7 league appearances. He joined Shrewsbury Town but failed to make their first team, later playing for non-league side Moor Green, moving on to Stourbridge the following summer.

He later moved to Halesowen Town, but left them to join Conference side Hereford United in June 2000. Although Hereford were one of the mainly full-time Conference sides, Gardiner remained a part-time player, making his Conference debut on 2 September in a 3-0 win away at Woking. He was released by Hereford in the summer of 2001 after missing the end of the season through injury, joining Worcester City on 16 June. However, in August 2001 he was released by Worcester (by mutual consent) after only 4 games, one of the reasons being that he was still suffering the effects of the double hernia operation he had undergone while at Hereford.

Later that month he joined Redditch United, then moved quickly on to Evesham United before rejoining Hereford United on non-contract terms in September 2001. He moved to Hednesford Town in November 2001 as one of new manager Kenny Hibbitt's first signings.

He rejoined Redditch, moving to Evesham just before the start of the 2002/03 season. However, he returned to Redditch again in January 2003.

He moved to Worcester City in February 2005, but a month later was released to join local rivals Bromsgrove Rovers.