Martin Aldridge
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin James Aldridge | ||
| Date of birth | 6 December 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Northampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 30 January 2000 (aged 25) | ||
| Place of death | Oxford, England | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1991 | Braunston Rangers | ||
| 1991–1993 | Northampton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | Northampton Town | 70 | (17) |
| 1995 | → Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) | ||
| 1995–1998 | Oxford United | 72 | (19) |
| 1998 | → Southend United (loan) | 11 | (1) |
| 1998–2000 | Blackpool | 27 | (7) |
| 1999 | → Port Vale (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2000 | → Rushden & Diamonds (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 184+ | (44+) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Martin James Aldridge (6 December 1974 – 30 January 2000) was an English footballer. A forward, he scored 44 goals in 182 league appearances in a seven-year career in the Football League.
He turned professional at Northampton Town in August 1993. He was loaned out to Dagenham & Redbridge in December 1995, and was transferred to Oxford United later in the month. He helped the club to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1995–96, but later fell out of favour, and was loaned out to Southend United in February 1998. He switched to Blackpool in August 1998, where he enjoyed loan spells out to Port Vale and Rushden & Diamonds. After a game at Nene Park, he was involved in a car accident on the A45, and died of his injuries, aged 25.
Northampton-born Aldridge joined Coventry City as a schoolboy, but was released in 1990. As a sixteen-year-old, he then played for Ford Sports Daventry (UCL first division), and joined Sunday League side Braunston Rangers on to play with his brother Pete. He began his professional career as a trainee with his local side, Northampton Town, joining them from Braunston leaving school in the summer of 1991, and turning professional in August 1993. The "Cobblers" finished bottom of the Football League in 1993–94. On 15 October 1994, he scored the first-ever competitive goal at Northampton's new Sixfields Stadium, in a 1–1 draw with Barnet. Northampton rose to 17th in the Third Division in 1994–95 under Ian Atkins's stewardship. He moved to Dagenham & Redbridge on loan in December 1995, and later that month moved to Oxford United on a free transfer, where he was intended to replace Wayne Biggins. Oxford won promotion as runners-up of the Second Division in 1995–96.
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