Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | John Alan Martin | ||
Date of birth | 23 November 1923 | ||
Place of birth | Smallthorne, England | ||
Date of death | 2004 (aged 80–81) | ||
Playing position | Half-back / Inside-forward | ||
Youth career | |||
Nettlebank Villa | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1941–1951 | Port Vale | 169 | (28) |
1951–1955 | Stoke City | 104 | (6) |
1955–1957 | Bangor City | ||
1957–1959 | Port Vale | 19 | (0) |
Northwich Victoria | |||
Total | 292 | (34) | |
Teams managed | |||
Northwich Victoria | |||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
John Alan Martin (23 November 1923 – 2004) was an English footballer who played as a half-back and inside-forward. A pacey and intelligent player, he scored 94 goals in 292 league appearances in eleven years in the Football League.
He began his career at Port Vale, turning professional in December 1942. He was sold to Stoke City in exchange for Albert Mullard and £10,000 in September 1951, and played First Division football for the "Potters". He spent 1955 to 1957 at Bangor City, before re-joining Port Vale in July 1957. He helped the "Valiants" to win the Fourth Division title in 1958–59, before moving on to Northwich Victoria.
Martin joined Port Vale in February 1941 as an amateur, signing professional forms in December 1942. He played 14 Third Division South games in 1946–47. He scored his first senior goals at The Old Recreation Ground in a 4–1 win over Ipswich Town on 1 November 1947, and was an ever-present throughout the 1947–48 campaign, scoring eight goals. He again played every minute of the 1948–49 season, and also bagged seven goals. He scored eight goals in 28 games in 1949–50, and five goals in 46 games in 1950–51. Manager Gordon Hodgson died in June 1951, and his replacement, Ivor Powell, sold Martin to Potteries derby rivals to Stoke City in exchange for Albert Mullard and £10,000 in September 1951. This was a club record for Stoke.