Martin Harvey

Martin Harvey (born 19 September 1941 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) was a Northern Irish footballer who played for Sunderland and the Northern Ireland national football team as a wing half.

He played for local side Boyland F.C. and with a trial spell with Burnley before signing for Sunderland in 1959. His debut for the club came on 24 October 1959 against Plymouth Argyle in a 0–0 draw at Home Park. In total he made 314 league appearances, scoring five goals while at Sunderland.

In the late sixties, alongside Jimmy Montgomery, Cecil Irwin, Len Ashurst, Charlie Hurley and Jim McNab, Harvey formed one of the most notable and most settled back fives in Sunderland's history.

Harvey was capped twice for Northern Ireland 'B', and played three matches, all against Wales, for the Under 23 side in 1962, 1963 and 1964. By then, he was already a full international. His first cap was awarded when he was just nineteen years old, in April 1961. Over the next ten years, he was to collect a total of 34 caps, scoring three goals.

During the 1971-1972 season, Martin Harvey sustained serious back and other injuries which forced his premature retirement at the age of 30. He stayed on at Sunderland, joining the coaching staff, and appeared in his testimonial match against Newcastle United in April 1975. He then took a similar job at Carlisle United under manager Bobby Moncur. When Moncur left the club in February 1980, Harvey was appointed as caretaker manager, and despite it being widely known that the club's board wished to reappoint former manager Bob Stokoe, a strong run of form under Harvey saw the side climb from being just outside the relegation zone to a final finishing position of sixth place, earning him the manager's job on a permanent basis. However, Harvey was sacked just five games into the following season after a series of thumping defeats, and Stokoe appointed his successor within a matter of hours.

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