3 weeks ago
“I erstwhile deed a six successful very murky conditions to triumph a crippled which sewage america promoted.” Nigel Martyn is mislaid successful a reverie. The erstwhile England, Leeds, Everton and Crystal Palace subordinate was English football’s first £1m goalkeeper, chalked up 846 nine appearances successful a profession that spanned 3 decades, went to 2 World Cups and played successful an FA Cup final. But it is simply a smear complete long-on successful nan Yorkshire gloaming that has him misty-eyed.
“Wow. I retrieve that emotion was … yeah. That was arsenic bully arsenic immoderate emotion that I had connected a shot field.”
Picking up connected a whiff of incredulity Martyn originates to explicate himself. “It was correct down to nan wire, I deliberation we had 1 wicket near and it was almost transportation black.”
The crippled was successful Cookridge a fewer years ago. Martyn, now 59, was playing for Leeds Modernians successful nan Airedale & Wharfedale elder cricket league. “The shot earlier I had not seen astatine all. I decided to conscionable plaything astatine nan adjacent 1 and someway I really middled it! If I adjacent my eyes I tin almost consciousness it now. Then it was pandemonium.”
I mildly punctual Martyn that he was successful extremity for 1 of English football’s astir visceral moments successful modern representation – when David Beckham boomeranged a 93rd-minute free-kick into nan apical area of Greece’s extremity astatine Old Trafford to unafraid England’s spot astatine nan 2002 World Cup. Losing 2-1, England were staring down nan tube of an embarrassing non-qualification. It was Martyn’s agelong shot guardant that led to nan foul connected Teddy Sheringham and resulted successful nan free-kick being given.
“That was a horrible last fewer minutes,” Martyn says, chuckling. “The lads successful defence kept passing nan shot backmost to me, inviting each this unit on. I kept thinking: ‘Rio, don’t springiness it backmost to me, get it up there!’”
Martyn was unaware, moreover successful nan infinitesimal aliases truthful aft Beckham’s free-kick had deed nan backmost of nan net, that it was capable to spot England through. “That infinitesimal of euphoria was successful a measurement taken distant from me. We had to lucifer Germany’s consequence and I conscionable assumed they had won their lucifer against Finland. Steve McClaren [then adjunct head to Sven-Göran Eriksson] only managed to get a connection to maine seconds earlier nan full crushed knew.”
A superior ankle wounded forced Martyn to extremity his shot profession successful 2006. He soon recovered himself donning a different brace of gloves, those of a wicketkeeper. Martyn was a promising young cricketer increasing up successful St Austell and remained a keen follower of nan crippled contempt not being allowed to play erstwhile he turned master pinch Bristol Rovers successful 1987. Not galore of his erstwhile teammates shared his emotion of leather connected willow. “I’m racking my brains, I tin only really deliberation of Phil Neville having a passing liking erstwhile we were astatine Everton together.
A fewer years aft retiring he decided to get backmost into cricket. “I didn’t return it earnestly capable astatine first and ended up tearing 1 of my hamstrings beautiful badly.” Fortunately for Martyn, his girl is simply a physio for Harlequins and she encouraged him to commencement training again.
“I’ve ne'er been overmuch of a runner, but I ever loved diving astir and catching balls, I was a earthy goalkeeper and wicketkeeper. I’m still really competitory though truthful erstwhile I group my mind to thing I really spell for it.”
Martyn now has an almost Goochian appetite for mounting examples pinch his fitness, inspiring overmuch younger players astatine Knaresborough to get successful style and person a much master outlook. Having secured 3 promotions and pinch a mates of young keepers coming done nan ranks whose improvement he did not want to block, Martyn was persuaded by a friend to make nan move to Scarcroft, northbound of Leeds, for a caller challenge. He besides plays midweek for Cornwall’s over-50s and successful summertime completes an 800-mile information travel connected a play basis. “My woman is simply a immense cricket instrumentality and is very understanding. She does find nan full point somewhat bonkers though.”
This passion and committedness for cricket has paid off. Last week Martyn was fixed different chance to correspond his country, having been selected for England’s over-60s cricketers. He will play his first lucifer for nan Lions, successful effect nan 2nd XI to nan first team, connected Friday astatine Seaton Carew successful County Durham. “He’ll beryllium presented pinch a reddish headdress connected Friday for nan lucifer versus Scotland,” says Paul Bradley, England over-60s manager. “If he makes it into nan first team, which I’m judge he will astatine immoderate point, past he’ll get nan bluish headdress and beryllium capable to telephone himself a dual international.”
“It’s a existent honour to beryllium selected,” says Martyn. “I was really impressed astatine nan proceedings astatine Loughborough a fewer weeks ago. These guys are ace fresh and really beardown cricketers, there’s nary doddery aged men aliases thing for illustration that. These older gents could springiness blokes decades younger than them a tally for their money.”
Martyn turns 60 successful August and arsenic specified was ne'er really successful contention for a World Cup owed to return spot successful Canada nan aforesaid month. “I’d for illustration to play a World Cup aliases a ‘Grey Ashes’ 1 day, but correct now I’m taking it each arsenic it comes. Fitness is ne'er guaranteed erstwhile you get to my property truthful thing could happen.”
Does he ever get sledged playing nine cricket? “Not really, I had 1 annoying bloke past play conscionable listing celebrated goalkeepers while I was batting, that was a spot odd.” Martyn says he doesn’t really get recognised erstwhile he is successful his whites, but does callback a clip erstwhile a Knaresborough section and chap erstwhile Leeds and England keeper, Paul Robinson, turned retired for a crippled erstwhile they were near short.
“There were a fewer quizzical faces that day, a mates of wide-eyed Leeds fans successful nan opposition. I deliberation they half expected Harry Kewell aliases Lucas Radebe to beryllium opening nan bowling for us. Robbo utilized to beryllium my footwear boy astatine Leeds. After nan lucifer I flung him my spikes for aged times’ sake. Luckily, he saw nan funny side.”
Martyn is keen for nan liking successful his action to radiance a ray connected nan thriving world of seniors cricket, which does not person immoderate backing from nan England and Wales Cricket Board and relies connected sponsorship arsenic good arsenic players paying their ain way. “We’ve sewage 135 teams from 36 counties competing successful 60s and 70s property groups,” says Bradley proudly. “When it comes to nan England squads we prime connected talent alone, not connected favouritism.”
Bradley past confides that Martyn drove up to Seaton Carew a mates of time agone to person a look astatine nan transportation wherever he will make his Lions debut. “He wasn’t location conscionable to person a Mr Whippy connected nan seafront, was he?” Once a pro, ever a pro.
