Fred Martin
Encyclopedia
Frederick "Fred" Martin (born May 13, 1929 in Carnoustie
) is a retired Scottish
professional international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His only senior club was Aberdeen
, with whom he played for 14 years. He also represented Scotland
during their first FIFA World Cup
finals appearance in 1954.
as an inside forward, Martin was converted into a goalkeeper during his period of National Service. He made his Aberdeen debut in his new position in a 3-1 defeat by East Fife
in 1949-50
, scoring an own goal
when he fumbled a last minute cross into his net. He recovered from this start and became a regular over the next seven seasons, helping the Dons to their first League title
in 1954-55
and the 1955-56
League Cup
. Martin also featured in three Scottish Cup
finals for the Reds (1952-53
, 1953-54
and 1958-59
), although he was on the losing side on each occasion. The latter years of his time at Pittodrie
saw Martin fall victim to a succession of injuries and after making only 4 appearances during the season, he retired at the end of the 1959-60 campaign
.
in 1952 and two years later earned his first full Scotland
cap in a 1-0 win against Norway
, making his debut alongside Dons team-mates Paddy Buckley
and George Hamilton
. He was selected in the Scotland squad for the 1954 World Cup
and played in both Scotland's matches, a 1-0 defeat by Austria
and a 7-0 defeat by Uruguay
. Martin was considered partially responsible for scale of the Uruguayan defeat and dropped, with his inconsistency being highlighted in the media. In the opinion of Scottish football journalist and historian Bob Crampsey
"when the mood was upon him, he could be very good, but at other times, played exactly as you would expect an inside-right to play if shoved between the posts."
Martin was recalled for games against Hungary
and England
in late 1954 and early 1955 but on each occasion Scotland lost heavily (4-2 and 7-2 respectively) and his international career was effectively over. He conceded a total of 20 goals in his six games for Scotland.
Carnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
) is a retired Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His only senior club was Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, with whom he played for 14 years. He also represented Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
during their first FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finals appearance in 1954.
Club career
Originally signed from Carnoustie PanmureCarnoustie Panmure F.C.
Carnoustie Panmure F.C. are a Scottish Junior football club from the town of Carnoustie, Angus. Formed in 1936, they are nicknamed the Gowfers due to the town's well-established links to the sport of golf...
as an inside forward, Martin was converted into a goalkeeper during his period of National Service. He made his Aberdeen debut in his new position in a 3-1 defeat by East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
in 1949-50
1949-50 in Scottish football
The 1949–50 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Rangers won the league with a 2–2 draw in their last match, away to Third Lanark, a game in which Rangers took a 2–0 lead...
, scoring an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
when he fumbled a last minute cross into his net. He recovered from this start and became a regular over the next seven seasons, helping the Dons to their first League title
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
in 1954-55
1954-55 in Scottish football
The 1954–55 season was the 58th season of competitive football in Scotland.Aberdeen won their first League Title.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: Aberdeen...
and the 1955-56
1955-56 in Scottish football
The 1955–56 season was the 59th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:Following league reconstruction League Division One was expanded from 16 to 18 teams with Airdrieonians and Dunfermline Athletic being promoted...
League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. Martin also featured in three Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
finals for the Reds (1952-53
1952-53 in Scottish football
The 1952–53 season was the 56th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Rangers won the title with a 1–1 draw in their last match, away to Queen of the South...
, 1953-54
1953-54 in Scottish football
The 1953–54 season was the 57th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division A:Champions: CelticRelegated: Airdrieonians, Hamilton Academical-Scottish League Division B:...
and 1958-59
1958-59 in Scottish football
The 1958–59 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:The last day of the season saw Rangers holding a 2 point lead over Hearts, with the clubs having an identical goal average....
), although he was on the losing side on each occasion. The latter years of his time at Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
saw Martin fall victim to a succession of injuries and after making only 4 appearances during the season, he retired at the end of the 1959-60 campaign
1959-60 in Scottish football
The 1959–60 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: HeartsRelegated: Stirling Albion, Arbroath-Scottish League Division Two:Promoted: St...
.
Scotland career
Martin was chosen to represent the Scottish Football LeagueScottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
in 1952 and two years later earned his first full Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
cap in a 1-0 win against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, making his debut alongside Dons team-mates Paddy Buckley
Paddy Buckley
Patrick McCabe Buckley is a former Scottish footballer who played for Bo'ness United, St. Johnstone, Aberdeen and the Scotland national team....
and George Hamilton
George Hamilton (footballer)
-External links:* *...
. He was selected in the Scotland squad for the 1954 World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
and played in both Scotland's matches, a 1-0 defeat by Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and a 7-0 defeat by Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. Martin was considered partially responsible for scale of the Uruguayan defeat and dropped, with his inconsistency being highlighted in the media. In the opinion of Scottish football journalist and historian Bob Crampsey
Bob Crampsey
Robert "Bob" Crampsey was a Scottish association football historian, author and broadcaster, described as a "much loved Scottish cultural institution" by The Times...
"when the mood was upon him, he could be very good, but at other times, played exactly as you would expect an inside-right to play if shoved between the posts."
Martin was recalled for games against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in late 1954 and early 1955 but on each occasion Scotland lost heavily (4-2 and 7-2 respectively) and his international career was effectively over. He conceded a total of 20 goals in his six games for Scotland.
Post Football
After retiring from football, Martin went into the Whisky trade and worked for Dewars Whisky until he retired in 1994. In 2007 he was one of the inaugural inductees into the Aberdeen Football Club Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements and legendary status at the club. Enjoying his latter years his interests include golf and walking. He currently lives with his wife Margaret and together they have five children and eight grandchildren.External links
- Hall of Fame Profile at official Aberdeen F.C.Aberdeen F.C.Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
website - Scotland appearances at londonhearts.com Scotland section