 |
Lionel Martin played 42 matches (plus 13 as substitute) for Aston Villa, scoring 9 goals in those matches. But those appearances were spread over six seasons (1966/67 to 1971/72). He signed for Villa at 17 years of age but was an apprentice before that and so spent ten years at Villa Park. He made his first team debut on 13 May 1967 against Southampton. He had a spell on loan at Doncaster Rovers at the end of the 1970/71 season. His last game for Villa was against Shrewsbury Town as the substitute in a Third Division match on 19 January 1972.
Worcester Citys Official History says that the £2,500 transfer fee was a club record at the time and Villa demanded a clause that would give them 50% of any transfer fee if he returned to League football.
He played for eight seasons at St. Georges Lane and the Official History says he made 382 appearance scoring 47 goals.
At the start of the 1977/78 season Hereford United made an approach to City for Lionel to return to League football. John Sillett, Herefords manager, had seen him play in a City v Hereford pre-season friendly and moved to sign him. As we know the approach was rejected with Lionel saying he had too much to lose as he was 30 years of age with a good job and a benefit season at City. He got a benefit match when ex-Villa team mate Brian Godfrey brought his Bath City side to the Lane in the 1978/79 pre-season.
At the end of Citys Southern League championship season in 1978/79 he was considering his options as he was now 32 years of age and had picked up some niggling injuries towards the end of the season. However, he re-signed for Citys first season in the Alliance Premier League. Early in that season he found first team games limited. In October 1979 Paddy Mullen was Malvern Towns manager and tried to get Lionel to sign but got little encouragement from Nobby Clark who saw Lionel as still being part of his plans. However, shortly afterwards he submitted a transfer request that was reluctantly accepted by City. He was placed on the transfer list with a £300 fee. Lionel was reported to have been slightly put out with the fee and he hoped that it did not restrict his choice of clubs as he still fancied a crack in the new Alliance Premier League. John Barton said of him:
I have always felt of all the players I have known come out of League football, Lionel has adapted better than any.
Nobby Clark said:
Lionel has been an excellent pro and has been a great help to me over the five years I have been at Worcester. He never pushed for extra cash when he could have commanded more and never once failed to give his all in a game. He knows that while I am at Worcester there will always be a job for him, but there is no way as a club we will stand in his way if he wished to move.
He got offers from Alvechurch and Tamworth but Bromsgrove Rovers and Stourbridge ended up battling it out for his signature and he was about to agree terms with Bromsgrove when Redditch United came in with an increased offer. In the end he chose to team up again with Alan Wood now manager at Bromsgrove Rovers. He later moved on to Dudley Town before hanging up his boots.
|
D.O.B:
15/05/1947
Born:
Ludlow
Lionel made 44 appearances as an inside forward for Aston Villa between 1966 and 1972, before being sold to Worcester City for £2,500.
He spent 8 years at Worcester City before Alan Wood signed him for the Rovers in November 1979.
|