Looking to shore up a leaky defence which had almost lead to relegation at the end of the 1999-2000 season, Harchester manager Ray Wyatt set about finding a central defensive partner for the talented but erratic Didier Baptiste. Working on a tight budget meant there was little money available for an experienced Premiership campaigner. However, Wyatt was impressed by the leadership qualities a no-nonsense style of QPR captain Matt Conlon, believing this would compliment nicely the more elegant style of Baptiste. When Harchester came in for the reliable hardworking journeyman, Matt saw this as his big chance after years of hard work and graft in the lower divisions. When his club accepted a £1.2 million offer, Matt had no hesitation in agreeing to the move, and so he and wife Lizzie and children Jake and Emma moved from London to the Midlands.

Seeking strong leadership following the departure of Luis Amor Rodriguez, Matt was given the captains armband by Ray. He was also made the clubs PFA representative. However, with this came pressure- not only did Matt have to contend with a higher level of football at a new club, but he also had to lead this team as well. Serious questions were asked by the media over whether or not the gulf would be too great for Conlon. In truth, while never completely out of his depth, Matt rarely looked totally comfortable in the Premiership, and this was no doubt not helped much by off pitch distractions and the 7-0 defeat at the hands of Leeds United represented a real low. His son Jake also received some cruel taunts from another child in school due to his dad’s poor performances. However, Harchester did ultimately qualify for the Champions League and while their more illustrious attacking players got most of the credit for this achievement, Matt was often a rock to his team- mates both on and off the pitch and must take some credit for the team’s success.

Away from the pitch, things were much more complicated. During his time at QPR Matt had an affair with secretary Rachel Gately. One of the reasons Matt was so keen to leave was to put this behind him and let his family start over. However, his wife Lizzie wouldn’t let him forget it. Things took a turn for the worse when Rachel showed up in Harchester, working for the club. This caused Matt great distress, even more so when she hooks up with Danny Rawsthorne and flaunts her relationship in front of him. His wife Lizzie was also livid at Rachel’s reappearance, begging Rachel not to take her husband away from her. For Matt, Danny and Rachel matters came to a head in Christmas 2000 when fuelled by jealousy Matt starts behaving very strangely. On one occasion when Danny and Rachel went on a date, Matt showed up, and so desperate was he to keep an eye on them he was reduced to the extremity of borrowing an ill- fitting suit to gain access to the restaurant. At this time, Matt and Lizzie’s relationship was at a new low with him being thrown out of their house in the Barrons for a period and Lizzie only delayed her demand for a divorce out of fear that such proceeding might spoil the children’s Christmas. However with Rachel out of the picture, they later fully reconciled, which was reflected on the pitch with an upturn in Matt's form.

Despite a reasonable debut season at the club, Harchester fell under new management in the Summer of 2001 and Matt was viewed as expendable. It was made clear there would be no place for Matt in a side which would be competing in the Champions League and they would welcome any offers for him. In the end Matt was forced to accept a cut- price move to Premiership newboys Bolton Wanderers in order to secure regular first team football.

Statistics

First Appearance: Episode 4.01
Final Appearance: Episode 4.26

Season 4 Character Popularity: 0.34% (18th)

Filmography

I Love My Suit (2006) .... Man in Suit
Gifted (2003) (TV) .... Police Officer
Brookside (1982) TV Series .... Rob Dexter (2002)
Where the Heart Is - United We Stand (2002) TV Episode .... John Flanagan
Holby City - Things Can Only Get Better (2001) TV Episode .... Colin
Beech Is Back (2001) (mini) TV Series .... DS Donohue
Lady Audley's Secret (2000) (TV) .... Luke Marks
Silent Witness - A Good Body (1999) TV Episode .... Fireman
Soldier Soldier - No Pain, No Gain (1997) TV Episode .... Fus Gary Alderson
I Love My Suit (2006) (co-producer)

Last updated June 2006. For more up-to-date information, please visit IMDb.

Interviews

Exclusive Interview: Paul Swinnerton - September 2004

External Web Links

Paul Swinnerton Official Website