Martin: Cornelius Joseph (Con)

1946-1948 (Player Details)

Left Half/Centre Half

Born: Rush, Co.Dublin, Republic of Ireland: 20-03-1923

Debut: v Sheffield United (a): 04-01-1947

6'1” 13st 0lb (1948)

After initially playing Gaelic Football, in his teens and was called into the Dublin senior panel aged just eighteen, helping the Dubs to the Leinster title in 1942. However, at the same time as lining out for Dublin, he was also playing soccer for Drumcondra. When this was discovered, Martin was expelled from the GAA and it wasn't until thirty years later that the Association eventually agreed to award him the Leinster medal he won. He converted to football and spent four years with Drumcondra, where he won an FAI Cup Winners’ medal in 1945-46, before he joined Irish League side Glentoran in 1946 for £500 and was selected for Ireland's tour of Iberia in 1947, where he won his first cap for the Republic of Ireland. He made his debut against Portugal, and then he was selected in goal for the second match against Spain. His performance in a historic 1-0 win sufficiently impressed Manchester United to offer him a contract. However, Leeds United offered him a contract as an outfield player at the same time and he opted for Elland Road. While Manchester United became one of the strongest sides of the time, Leeds floundered. He had scored once in twenty-two games for Glentoran before he joined Leeds in December 1946 for £8,000 and quickly established himself at left half, but was equally adept in the centre-half role. He soon attracted the attention of other clubs and the hard-up United were forced to sell him to Aston Villa for £10,000 in October 1948, the cash being used to rebuild the Leeds side. He enjoyed his best days at Villa staying until July 1956, scoring once in making one hundred and ninety four League appearances, and nineteen F.A. Cup games before he joined Waterford as Player-Manager and remained there until 1964. After Managing Shelbourne in 1965 he had a spell as Manager of Cork Hibernian. He later worked as an Insurance Agent and established an Insurance Company with his son-in-law. He captained both Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and was in the Eire team which inflicted England’s first home defeat by a non-UK team at Goodison Park by two goals to nil in 1949. The versatility of of the dual Irish International was legendary, for he played every position at senior level including goalkeeping appearances for the Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa. His ball handling skills learned in Gaelic football were put to good use in his goalkeeping art and he was sought by Manchester United in the goalkeeping role and played one full season for Aston Villa as custodian. The season was 1951-52 and in the first match he started as left-back (with Rutherford in goal) and then he kept goal in twenty-six League matches and in one FA Cup match. In many ways, Martin had the misfortune of playing in the same era as Johnny Carey. Carey was an excellent footballer, while Martin's strength and physical presence meant that while he was just as effective, he lacked the panache of the Manchester United man. Like Carey, Martin was incredibly versatile and he even made his second appearance for Ireland as a goalkeeper, though centre back was his favoured position. Martin finished with thirty Republic of Ireland caps and six Northern Ireland appearances. His total was passed by his son, Mick, who played in fifty-one Eire internationals and with Bohemians, Manchester United and Newcastle United. His grandson Alan was on Leeds United’s books as an associate schoolboy but did not make it past the junior level. Another grandson, Owen Garvan, has already been capped by the Republic of Ireland at Under-Twenty-one level and plays for Ipswich Town.