‘I loved playing in the PSL’
Matthew Pattison’s introduction to South African fans was as a young substitute for Newcastle United in the English Premier League, making his debut off the bench against Everton in February 2006.
It took a while for many to make the connection to Mzansi, but the youngster’s ties to the country were strong and would lead to five Bafana Bafana caps and a solid career in the Premier Soccer League.
“I was born in born in Sandton but I grew up in Alberton and from six years old, I played for Alberton juniors,” Pattison says. “I still remember going to the club for the first time. My parents were from the UK, from Newcastle, so I was always going to get involved with football, probably more so than any other sport in South Africa.
“Obviously, my dad was a big, big Newcastle fan. It just it just seemed to be a natural thing for me to play football.
“My parents emigrated there when they were in their 20s. My Dad was a carpenter and worked for Wits University. My mother worked at the university as well. I was 10 years old when they moved back over to the UK.”
Pattison admits it was no plain sailing on the family’s return to the United Kingdom, and there was a period of adaptation.
“It’s a completely different kettle of fish over in the UK to what it was
