Matt Clark, Housekeeping Supervisor, talks about his passion for football and what it was like to appear on Sky Sports.
1. He is a football podcaster
A fan of football for his whole life, his love of the Spanish game began in the 2010s, ‘the golden age’ with Real Madrid and Barcelona at the height of their rivalry and the best players and coaches lured to the country.
Matt now hosts and edits a twice weekly podcast – La Liga Lowdown - where he chats about matches, transfers and the best of Spanish football.
About his Euro 2024 appearance live on Sky Sports News, he says:
“I was nervous at the start for sure. But then once we got into it, it just kind of reeled off the tongue, I suppose, and I got comfortable. And then before I knew it, it was done and it was Wow, we're out of time. And then like, oh, that was fantastic!”
2. He had open heart surgery in the first week of his life
When he was six days old, Matt underwent heart surgery at Great Ormond Street. Of course he doesn’t remember that time and it hasn’t stopped him since. He recently ran the Cambridge 10K with colleagues at Christ’s, and rows regularly after joining the staff boat in 2023.
He continues to have annual heart checkups: “It's strange because when I have an ECG, it'll say abnormal, but for me that's OK, that is my normal.”
3. He grew up in Cambridge, but takes a keen interest in Scottish politics
From local school Netherhall, Matt - who says he ‘absorbs information like a sponge’ - received an offer to study Geography at Cambridge, but ended up going to Sheffield.
“With hindsight, I say it's good to get away, experience a different way of life and living on your own.”
His degree in Human Geography fuelled his interest in politics; for his dissertation he examined the SNP’s performance in the 2015 General Election.
4. He’s been a member of the Housekeeping Team since 2015
While a student Matt joined Christ’s as a casual worker one summer to help fund driving lessons. One role led to another and now he’s a Supervisor in one of the largest departments in College.
“What I most enjoy is the opportunity to try and improve things and develop the relationships within and between departments. Christ’s is a community and a great place to make friends.”
5. He is the youngest ever President of Coton Bowls Club
Introduced to bowls at the age of 15 by his late grandfather Bryan Forsdyke (who was briefly a Porter at Jesus College), Matt has played ever since. It’s not an ‘old man’s game’, he says, but a complex physical, tactical and social contest. “And the more you play it, the more you appreciate the nuances of it” he adds.
There are rumours he may even get a staff Bowls match underway …
Watch Matt’s Sky Sports interview on Youtube
