Biography
Young centre back Matthew Bound joined the Tigers in late August 1993 on a one month loan from Southampton and managed to squeeze in seven starts in that time. His arrival coincided with a fine run of form for Terry Dolan’s Tigers, who were in the top two of League Division 2 when Bound returned to the South Coast at the end of September. His only Tigers goal was an important one, the 89th minute winner in a tumultuous and topsy-turvy 4-3 win at Cardiff City that elevated the Tigers to the top of the League – a position that faded after an Autumnal slump in form.
Matthew Terence Bound was born in Melksham, an agreeable Wiltshire market town, and spent his early footballing days at Southampton where he signed his first professional contract in May 1991. He made his Saints debut in April 1992 when he came on as substitute in a Division One match against Oldham Athletic and the folloiwng season he added three further appearances in the latter weeks of the inaugural Premier League season. He was a young and talented prospect when he joined Hull City in loan in August 1993 and proved himself to be a highly effective performer, but when he returned to Southampton he had to wait until April 1994 for his only Premier League appearance of the season, starting in a 5-4 win at Norwich City that featured a Matt le Tissier hattrick.
In October 1994 Bound moved on from Southampton and while he had clearly impressed at Hull City the cash-strapped Tigers were not able to bring him back and he joined League Division 2 rivals Stockport County. Bound spent three seasons at Edgeley Park but struggled to become a first team regular. He made 17 starts in his first season then 28 starts in 1995/96 season when he also weighed in with six goals – that run of form came between December 1995 and May 1996 after Bound had spent the opening weeks of the season on loan at Lincoln City, making 5 senior appearances. Bound started the 1996/97 season as Stockport’s first choice centre back but an injury at the end of August 1996 saw him miss the rest of the season. Unable to break back into the Hatters’ first team at the start of the 1997/98 season, Bound moved to League Division 3 side Swansea City in November 1997 and immediately became a first team regular in a Swans side struggling in the lower half of the bottom tier. By 1999 Swansea had recovered their form and qualified for the League Division 3 play-offs after beating Hull City on last game of the regular season, only to lose to Scunthorpe United in extra time at the end of the play-off semi-final.
In 1999/00 season Swansea made no mistake and topped the League Division 3 table with Bound making 51 appearances and scoring three times, the last of which was a penalty on the final day of the season that secured a 1-1 draw against second placed Rotherham United and confirmed the title. The following season Swansea were relegated back to the fourth tier and after starting the 2001/02 season in the heart of the Swans’ defence Bound moved to divisional rivals Oxford United in December 2001, initially on loan then making the move permanent a few weeks later. He spent two and a half seasons at Oxford, twice narrowly missing out on the play-offs places. When he left Oxford United at the end of the 2003/04 season Bound had added 111 appearances and two goals to the 201 appearances and 13 goals he contributed at Swansea and the 51 goals and 7 goals at Stockport County. His total tally across a 13 year career was 23 goals in 380 senior appearances in all competitions.
In the 2004 close season Bound joined ambitious non-league side Weymouth and in two seasons he scored 16 times in 81 starts, captaining the side and helping the Terras lift the Conference South title in 2006. He then spent the 2006/07 season at Eastleigh before briefly returning to the Weymouth first team in September 2009. By this time Bound had completed his financial and business management studies and had begun worked for a company that arranged sport-focussed holidays across the globe, eventually becoming Managing Director. He also managed a holiday home letting business on the Gower Peninsula for fifteen years, which is where he settled with his family after his football career ended.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 9 November 1972, Melksham
Hull City First Game: 28 August 1993, Cambridge United A (League Division 2), 20 years, 292 days old
Hull City Final Game: 25 September 1993, Reading A (League Division 2), 20 years, 320 days old
Clubs
Southampton (1991-1994), Hull City (1993, loan), Stockport County (1994-1997), Lincoln City (1995, loan), Swansea City (1997-2002), Oxford United (2001-2002, loan), Oxford United (2002-2004), Weymouth (2004-2006), Eastleigh (2006-2007), Weymouth (2009)
Hull City Record
Career: 7 apps, 1 goals
Matthew Bound| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993/94 | 7 (0) | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |