Tag: Grays Athletic

Button rarely pressed into action with the Albion

JOURNEYMAN goalkeeper David Button has travelled the length and breadth of the country in pursuit of playing time, his three years at Brentford being a rare settled spell in which he played 141 games.

Normally only a loanee or a back-up ‘keeper at a multitude of clubs, he had a season and a half as Fulham’s first choice but at Brighton between 2018 and 2020 he only made 10 first team starts.

Button was 29 when he signed for the Albion and he stepped into the boots vacated by Tim Krul, the previous back-up ‘keeper, who had moved on to Norwich City. With both upcoming goalkeepers Christian Walton and Robert Sanchez out on loan, boss Chris Hughton wanted a third senior ‘keeper.

Largely a watching brief

“He has a wealth of experience, having made over 300 appearances during his career so far, and I’m sure he will work well with Maty Ryan and Jason Steele,” said Hughton.

Button made his debut in a pre-season 2-1 friendly defeat against AFC Wimbledon, and realised from the outset that Ryan was going to be ahead of him.

“I’m not coming in blind to the situation, but I want to impress and be ready for the chance in the side – there has to be healthy competition wherever you are as a player and hopefully I can provide that for him,” he said. 

“There could be a chance for me and Jason in January if Maty goes away to the Asia Cup with Australia, so we’ll both be working hard to ensure we’re ready for that if the opportunity arises. 

“I know he’s very well thought of but at the same time you have to back yourself and work hard every day and do as well as you can.”

Indicating what might be expected of him, he said: “I’m confident with the ball at my feet – it’s a slightly different style to Fulham and we are allowed to go a bit more direct here and it’s something I feel I’m good at. 

“I think it’s a bit less risky – we play when we can and keep it when we can – the risk factor involved in playing it out of defence is less for me here though.”

Button certainly found a familiar face at training: goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts had previously worked with him at Charlton Athletic, and he said of him: “He has got a great reputation within the game and everyone he’s worked with speaks highly of him. I genuinely believe he’s one of the best at what he does.”

Button’s first competitive action for the Seagulls came in the fourth game of the season, a 1-0 home League Cup defeat to Southampton. He had to wait until December, when Ryan was away playing for Australia, to play in the Premier League.

In Premier League action v Everton

He kept a clean sheet in the first of them, a 1-0 home win over Everton, when he made a handful of saves, including turning a Richarlison effort onto a post.

“Although he’s a very experienced goalkeeper, it’s never easy when you’re coming in at this stage of the season and following Maty Ryan, who’s done so well for us,” Hughton said. “It wasn’t an easy decision because I’ve got two goalkeepers who are really pushing. But probably his experience managed to get him the nod (over Steele).

“It’s great for him to come into this first game and, not only be on a winning team, but also a clean sheet and that will do him the world of good.”

But that was as good as it got; Albion drew 2-2 at West Ham on New Year’s Day and lost to Liverpool (1-0) at the Amex and Man Utd (2-1) at Old Trafford. A 3-1 third round FA Cup win at Bournemouth saw then no.3 Jason Steele given a chance between the sticks.

On Ryan’s return, Button was back to the bench although he kept goal twice in Albion’s run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup: Button in the fourth round win over West Brom and in the fifth round win over Derby County. Hughton went with Ryan for the quarter final at Millwall and the semi v Man City.

When Graham Potter succeeded Hughton, Button spoke about the changes the goalkeepers then had to embrace. “We are now doing more work with our feet,” he told the matchday programme. “There is more onus on us to be better with the ball and to be comfortable with it.”

The opportunity to put it into practice was even less than previously for Button, though: he played just two League Cup matches in 2019-20 (Bristol Rovers and Aston Villa and one FA Cup tie (v Sheffield Wednesday).

At the start of the 2020-21 season, the ‘keeper swapped one Albion for another and signed for newly-promoted West Brom.

“I have ambitions of playing and helping the team as much as possible but I obviously understand that Sam (Johnstone) has got them promoted last season so he will start the season,” said Button.

“It’s up to me to push him and show the manager what I can do and take my chances when I get them. Hopefully there’ll be things I can bring to the squad certainly. I’m quite calm and comfortable with my feet too and commanding in my box so I’d say they’re my main strengths.”

However, Button played just one Premier League game in that first season plus three cup matches.

There was slightly more involvement in 2021-22 when the experienced stopper made 11 appearances in all competitions, including playing the final five Championship games and keeping consecutive clean sheets in the last three matches, against Coventry City, Reading and Barnsley.

When Button swapped West Brom for League One Reading in August 2023, one Baggies supporter wasn’t sorry to see the back of him. “’It is definitely the right move to offload David Button, he has been the worst goalkeeper I have ever seen at Albion,” said fan Matt Smith on footballleagueworld.co.uk.

“We’ve had some pretty decent goalies since I’ve been going, however Button was absolutely atrocious over a significant period of time too. How on earth did we spend £1m on him?

“How Steve Bruce gave him a two-year contract at the end of the 2021-22 season is beyond me. He’s so bad honestly. He can’t catch a bloody cold. He’s awful.”

Born in Stevenage on 27 February 1989, Button was with local club Stevenage Borough in their centre of excellence and acknowledged the input of the Coaching FX goalkeeping school in his early development.

“Keith Fenwick was my first coach: his first-class and very enjoyable sessions definitely helped to develop my love of being a keeper,” he said.

Button moved from youth academy to professional at Spurs

An England schoolboy and youth international, Button moved on to Tottenham’s youth academy in 2003, signed a scholarship deal two years later and then earned a four-year professional contract in December 2007. However, he only had eight minutes of first team action for Spurs – as a substitute for Carlo Cudicini in a League Cup match – and was loaned out 13 times.

Over his four years as a Spurs pro, he had two spells each at Crewe Alexandra and non-League Grays Athletic, plus stints at Rochdale, Bournemouth, Luton, Dagenham & Redbridge, Shrewsbury Town, Plymouth Argyle, Leyton Orient, Doncaster and Barnsley.

In the 2009-10 season, he notched up a total of 36 League Two appearances (10 for Crewe and 26 for Shrewsbury) and 30 in League One the following season, when with Peter Reid’s Plymouth, where he kept Romain Larrieu out of the team for much of the campaign.

When he eventually left Spurs permanently, he didn’t travel too far, joining Chris Powell’s Charlton in the Championship for £500,000. Powell preferred Ben Hamer in goal, though, and Button was restricted to a handful of appearances before moving on to Brentford.

In an interview with getwestlondon, Button said: “It was a little bit of a frustrating time for me at Charlton. I would like to think I would have been given a chance a bit sooner there. It was a difficult year but it helped build my character.”

When Brentford sold Simon Moore to Cardiff, manager Uwe Rösler took Button to Griffin Park declaring: “We decided David was the perfect choice for us. He is at the right age and he is very hungry to make the number one spot his own.

“As soon as Simon left, David was our first choice. David will face strong competition for the goalkeeper spot from Jack Bonham and Richard Lee, when Richard is fit again.

“We have been strong there (in the goalkeeping positions) over the past two seasons and are even stronger this year.

“Goalkeeper is a crucial position and David is a very good player.”

For once, fortune fell favourably for Button and he ended up first choice as the Bees won promotion from League One at the end of his first season and reached the play-off semi-finals at the end of his second season.

The Brentford fans website bcfctalk was full of praise for the stopper, saying: “He was very much our first point of attack as well as our last line of defence and his quick and accurate distribution played a massive part on our overall style of play and freedom of expression.”

The website added: “He sometimes failed to deal effectively with crosses and he could also use his physique better as he is an enormous man, but he was utterly reliable and often quite brilliant and he won us numerous points with some incredible saves.”

Ahead of the 2015-16 season, at a pre-season training camp in Portugal, Button spoke about all of the club’s ‘keepers being put through their paces by goalkeeping coach Simon Royce, a one-time Albion loanee ‘keeper, and how he wanted to maintain his run of form.

“I need to find that level of consistency now for me,” he said. “I feel like I had quite a few good games last season but there were a few where I wanted to do better. I am aiming to keep my standards high in every minute of every game this season.”

He remained first choice in 2015-16, making 47 appearances, but talks on a new contract broke down. He came in for a bit of a backlash on social media when he decided to move on to west London rivals Fulham instead but he told getwestlondon: “It’s football. Probably in their eyes it’d have been nicer for me to move on to a different club. It is what it is.

“Hopefully they remember the good times and what I did for the club. I’ve got a great respect for the fans and for the way they treated me while I was there.

Fulham custodian

“I had a great three years at Brentford but felt it was time for a change and the opportunity to come here arose and it was something that interested me.”

Button had the support of manager Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham but gradually lost the backing of the supporters to the extent he was jeered at Craven Cottage.

Supporter Dan Smith did a detailed analysis of where he thought things went wrong on fulhamfocus.com. “Having narrowly missed out on promotion in the playoffs, Button signed off his Brentford career as a good keeper at this level and someone highly regarded by the Bees faithful,” wrote Smith. “His shot stopping one of the best in the league with a very strong ‘long’ kick.”

Button kept a clean sheet on the opening day of the 2016-17 season and Smith said: “He looked decisive, confident and capable. But something happened gradually as the season developed.”

He maintained the ‘keeper’s form slowly deteriorated and blamed the way he was being managed rather than the player himself. “He looks very uncomfortable with the ball at his feet and isn’t helped by the lack of movement from the deeper players making it very difficult for him to pick someone out,” wrote Smith. “Mistake after mistake giving the ball away clearly damaged his confidence because mistakes in possession led to poor keeping errors, letting in shots he should be saving and would have saved at Brentford.”

Interestingly, with echoes of what Roberto De Zerbi has said of Steele and Bart Verbruggen, Jokanovic did blame himself rather than Button, saying he trusted the ‘keeper and had full confidence in him.

“It’s my responsibility sometimes. I put my keepers in some sort of trouble. We play a bit different and I want to start playing from the keeper.

“It’s more simple to kick the ball to the strikers as it’d give him more opportunity to be comfortable in the goal.

“He has all my confidence. Sometimes, when he makes a mistake it’s partly my responsibility as well.”

Nevertheless, eventually Button lost his starting spot to Marcus Bettinelli.

Hopes for Hammers starlet Tony Stokes didn’t materialise

A YOUNG ATTACKING midfielder who Alan Pardew believed could make it played half a dozen games for Brighton but didn’t deliver on his early promise at West Ham.

It probably didn’t help Tony Stokes’ cause that Mark McGhee, the Albion manager who signed him, was sacked so early in the season. The youngster also dislocated a shoulder which subsequently put him out of action for eight months.

“He’s a good young player and they have high hopes for him,” McGhee had told the club website. “He’ll get on the ball and make things happen.”

The temporary move to League One Albion was Stokes’ second spell out on loan having played 19 games in League Two basement side Rushden and Diamonds’ unsuccessful battle against relegation from the league earlier in 2006.

“West Ham have very high hopes for him and the reviews that have come out of Rushden have been excellent,” said McGhee.

On North Stand Chat, a West Ham fan posted: “Stokes is one of three players that Pardew really thinks can make it in the big league, the other two being Kyle Reid and Hogan Ephraim. The boy’s been a star from under 15s onwards and likes to get on the scoresheet even though he plays in midfield.”

The Albion matchday programme declared Stokes had arrived at the Withdean with a glowing endorsement from Bobby Zamora, who was playing up front for the Hammers at the time.

“Bobby is a top lad. I get on really well with him, and he said to me what a good club this is and how he enjoyed his time here,” Stokes said. “I’m looking forward to my stay because being at a Premiership team makes it hard to get a chance. Hopefully I can play for the first team here at Brighton and show the fans and the manager – who has shown faith in me – what I can do.”

Stokes started on the left of Albion’s midfield trio (alongside Richard Carpenter and Dean Hammond) in each of the opening six matches and came on as a sub for Doug Loft in what turned out to be McGhee’s last game in charge, a 1-0 defeat at Bristol City on 2 September 2006. It was Stokes’ last appearance for Albion.

McGhee had revealed a week earlier that they had been delving into a stamina issue with the youngster, as he explained to the Argus. “We’ve felt in games that he has tired a little bit and we’ve actually discovered there’s a little bit of something going on in his system that West Ham have also discovered.

“It’s not medication but minerals and vitamins and certain things missing that have caused him to tire, so we expect more out of him as the weeks go on and as his fitness improves.

“He’s a footballer and we are playing football. He keeps the game ticking over, but I think he’s got a lot more to come.”

McGhee’s successor Dean Wilkins was keener to blood Albion’s own young talent but Stokes’ injury issue meant him returning early to West Ham anyway.

“I went up for a header and fell back on my arm. At first, I just carried on playing without too much discomfort, but then started to get a dead arm after coming off the pitch so I got it looked at again and it was decided an operation was needed to sort it out,” Stokes said in the West Ham matchday programme for the Hammers v Seagulls third round FA Cup tie in early January 2007.

“It’s not too bad and I am now waiting for it to heal properly so I can get back into training again.”

The youngster reflected positively on his time with the Albion, adding: “It was good for me to get a few matches under my belt, playing regular football. I played around eight or nine games while I was there and when I left to come back to West Ham, Brighton were in the top half, seventh place I think.

“I enjoyed it there, they wanted to try and go for the play-offs and promotion, so you always felt there was something to play for, and that’s good.

“I would go back to Brighton on loan. I liked it there.”

Born in Essex on 7 January 1987, Stokes first linked up with West Ham at the tender age of nine and the club website described him as “a combative but creative midfielder with an eye for goal who has impressed in coming through West Ham United’s youth ranks”.

His one and only competitive first team match for the Hammers came when he was 18, going on as a substitute for Tomas Repka in a 4-2 Carling Cup win away to Sheffield Wednesday in which Zamora scored twice for the Londoners.

“I will never ever forget my debut,” said Stokes. “It was a dream come true.”

In a 2015 interview, Stokes reflected on his eight months out injured saying: “In that time, Alan Pardew got the sack. I was always training with the first team, and in their matchday squads against the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal, but never did end up getting that final chance.”

Stokes was involved in non-competitive games, such as in July 2007 when he was a sub for Reid in Martin Ling’s testimonial at Leyton Orient, and the following day a sub for Freddie Ljungberg in a 3-2 friendly defeat away to MK Dons. Three days later, he was in Sussex playing for a West Ham XI in a 2-0 defeat to Lewes at the Dripping Pan and he also started for a West Ham XI that won 3-1 at Thurrock on 7 August.

Stokes produced some solid displays for the Hammers reserve team early in the 2007-08 season, raising hopes he could force his way into Alan Curbishley’s first-team reckoning – not least when he came off the bench and produced a stunning volley to force a 2-2 draw against Arsenal.

However, his next loan move was to Conference side Stevenage Borough in November 2007, where he played three matches under former Albion boss Peter Taylor.

In May 2008, Stokes was captain of academy coach Tony Carr’s young squad that took part in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament and was sent off in the Plate final which Hammers lost 3-2.

More involvement with the first-team group continued in the 2008 pre-season, Stokes twice appearing as a substitute during West Ham’s tour of North America. He went on as a sub in a 3-1 win over MLS side Columbus Crew and a 3-2 defeat to a MLS All Stars side featuring David Beckham in Toronto.

Back in the UK, he started a friendly away to Cambridge United which finished goalless and came on as a sub in a 2-2 friendly draw away to Southampton.

After Jack Collison was called up to the first team squad, Stokes took over as West Ham’s reserve team captain for the 2008-09 season. However, his career took an unexpected turn in February 2009 after a director of Hungarian side Újpest FC liked what he saw at a Hammers reserve match.

Stokes found himself heading out to Budapest on loan, and he told whufc.com: “I went on loan to the Hungarian team and it went really well. Then, when it came to the end of the season, my contract had run out at West Ham and Újpest wanted to keep me.

“They were playing in the Europa League, so that attracted me. I ended up playing in both legs of the second qualifying round defeat by Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League.

“We usually got crowds of between seven and eight thousand, but against Steaua, we got 15,000 at home and then played in front of 25,000 in the return leg in Romania. That was a great atmosphere to play in.

“For our home games, the supporters were just fantastic and the atmosphere was amazing. They would do absolutely everything to get a win.”

Stokes wore the no.6 lilac shirt for Újpest and quickly became a regular starter under  Scottish manager Willie McStay.

“I loved it out in Hungary. The people were so polite and made me feel so welcome,” Stokes told Tomasz Mortimer of hungarianfootball.com.

Stokes signed a three-year deal and made 24 appearances for Újpest, but, although he enjoyed Budapest, he was homesick and came to an arrangement to end his contract after only 11 months.

Stokes played as a defensive midfielder although he said later his preferred position was “up top or just behind the front two”.

Although he couldn’t speak Hungarian, it helped that the manager and his assistant – Joe McBride – were English speakers along with three other players at the club at the same time: Gary Martin, Scott Malone and Mark Millar. “It did really help me because I didn’t feel alone and they were going through the same feelings I was about missing home,” he said.

“It takes a lot of bottle to just up and move to another country, especially if you don’t speak the language,” Stokes told hungarianfootball.com. “I would definitely go back abroad if it was worth it.”

In a statement on the club’s website, explaining his decision to return to the UK, he said: “I took a long time thinking about what to do before I arrived at the decision, that I would like to leave, subject to the club allowing this, and put my contract on hold.

“I am missing my family a lot. I found it hard to live alone in Hungary during the 14 months I was here.

“I really enjoyed playing for Újpest. I made many friends and also played with many good players. I will take with me many good memories of the club.”

Stokes felt the whole experience improved him as a person, and told football.london in 2017: “Because you are out there all alone, you have to man up and sort out all situations yourself.

“Based on my own experiences I would definitely say players should try moving abroad for a year when they are younger to try and fend for themselves. It made me grow up so much and I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

Although Stokes maintained his decision to leave Hungary was because he was homesick, it might also have had something to do with McStay quitting as head coach in April 2010 and returning to Celtic “amid reports of financial problems” and being replaced by Hungarian coach Geza Meszoly.

Back in the UK, his ambition was to find a professional club and Stokes told whufc.com: “I think I’ve got a lot to offer, so I just want to show what I can do at any level and take it from there.” He ended up at Isthmian Premier League side Concord Rangers, where he scored goals for fun.

Before that, though, he was able to turn out for Tony Carr’s Academy All-Stars in the well-respected academy director’s May 2010 testimonial which featured a gallery of Hammers stars.

He went on to score 78 goals in 124 appearances for Concord and captained them to the Ryman League Cup and promotion to the Conference South via play-offs.

In November 2013, Stokes joined Canvey Island and he later played for Bowers & Pitsea, Brentwood Town and Grays Athletic.

• Pictures from matchday programmes and online sources.

Albion rookie Richard Martin became Sven goalie at City

RICHARD MARTIN could justifiably be dubbed ‘The Nearly Man’ of goalkeeping.

Once thought to have the potential to play 200 games for the Albion, he left the Seagulls having only ever warmed the first team bench.

In an unlikely turn of events, he went from back-up League One Seagulls ‘keeper to no.3 behind Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart at Premier League Manchester City, thanks to former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.

After two years at City, he went on loan to Burton Albion, then worked under Ben Roberts and Nathan Jones as back-up ‘keeper at Yeovil Town before enjoying fleeting fame on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.

Doubtless it wasn’t the career he expected when his teenage promise between the sticks led to him earning trials with Liverpool and Everton.

Born in Chelmsford on 1 September 1987, Martin spent part of his childhood in Liverpool but the family were living in Burgess Hill when the young goalkeeper was picked up by the Albion.

Martin was only 16 when Liverpool took him on a week-long trial and Albion manager Mark McGhee went public in the Argus on 4 February 2004, explaining why he thought the youngster should stick with the Seagulls.

Warming up for the Albion (pictured by the Argus)

“We have put forward a reasonable argument to the boy and to his parents as to why we think he should stay here,” said McGhee. “The thing we can promise him at a club like ours, like any other young player in any other position, is that if he is good enough he will be fast-tracked into the first team or certainly onto the bench.

“If he goes to Liverpool there is no chance of that happening. At the very best he is going to spend two or three years at youth level, then at reserve level and in five years’ time he might start to make an impression in the first team squad.

“By that time, he would have played 200 games for us and be worth a lot of money and move to Liverpool under different circumstances.”

The Argus reckoned Albion could have got compensation of at least £200,000 if Martin, a Liverpool supporter, had ended up at Anfield. But Liverpool didn’t take him on, he remained an Albion scholar, progressed through the youth ranks and was awarded a two-year professional contract in the summer of 2005, before his scholarship was due to expire.

With Michel Kuipers sidelined by injury, Martin and fellow young ‘keeper John Sullivan shared opportunities to play for the first team in pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2005-06 season. Martin appeared against Le Havre, Oxford United and Bournemouth, as well as coming on as a sub in two other matches.

A sizeable Albion following went over to France to watch Albion’s 2-0 defeat to Le Havre when Martin began in goal in the absence of Michel Kuipers. The Argus reported: “Martin flew high to his right to brilliantly tip away a 12th-minute thunderbolt from Jean-Michel Lesage which was dipping and swerving towards the top corner from 25 yards.”

Goalkeeping coach John Keeley went further and told the matchday programme: “That was an absolute world-class save. I’m sure if Michel had made it people would still have been talking about it – it was that good..

“He can take big positives out of that and the other bits he had to do in the first half.”

When the season proper got under way, Martin found himself on the bench for 14 matches as Irish international Wayne Henderson, on loan from Aston Villa, was the established first choice. But then Frenchman Florent Chaigneau arrived on a year-long loan from Rennes.

In December 2005, Everton took Martin on trial and for a while there was speculation that a nice fat transfer fee from selling the youngster could be reinvested in signing a much-needed striker for the first team. But the move didn’t materialise because Everton boss David Moyes didn’t think Martin was big enough.

The Argus reported: “Martin impressed during a recent trial with the Merseyside giants but Goodison boss Moyes has decided not to sign the slimly-built 18-year-old from Burgess Hill due to his size.”

Instead of heading to Goodison, Martin went on loan to non-league Kingstonian, competition for the no.1 spot at Albion having increased with the permanent signing of Henderson from Villa.

Martin was part of the successful Albion youth side of 2006 from which six players went on to play first team football. But even at youth level he was competing with Sullivan, who eventually edged ahead of him and did manage to break through into the first team.

Competitive football game-time was considered the best option for Martin and the following season he went on a season-long loan deal to Conference South Dorchester Town. But his stay was cut short by injury. Once recovered, in the second half of the season, he joined Folkestone Invicta where he played 12 matches.

However, on his return to the Albion his contract wasn’t renewed, and he was without a club until the surprise opportunity arose at Manchester City, where the goalkeeping coach at the time was ex-Albion No. 1 Eric Steele.

Martin told the Argus: “This is completely unexpected. I’d like to think Brighton were wrong to let me go but these things happen.

“I went up to City initially just for a week to do a bit of training, because my agent knows Eric.

“(First choice Andreas) Isaksson and Joe Hart picked up injuries, they had a reserve game which I played in and then I carried on training.

“I don’t think I am in contention for the first team, I will just be in the reserves and go from there. Hopefully the month will be extended if I can keep on doing well.”

Sure enough, it was and boss Eriksson was happy to give Martin a season-long contract.

His only first-team action came on 22 May 2008 when replacing Schmeichel for the second half in an end-of-season charity match in Hong Kong against a South China Invitational XI.

Even after Steele switched allegiance to Manchester United and Eriksson had moved on, Martin had done enough to establish himself as third in line behind Hart and Schmeichel.

Mark Hughes took over as manager and Martin remained at the club working with ex-Chelsea ‘keeper Kevin Hitchcock, who Hughes had taken with him from Blackburn.

Martin was given the no.13 squad number for the 2008-09 Premier League and UEFA Cup campaign and it was an irresistible opportunity for the Argus to catch up with him ahead of Brighton’s home Carling Cup tie against City at Withdean in September 2008 when Albion sprung a big shock by winning the penalty shoot-out.

Reporter Andy Naylor discovered Martin had been philosophical, rather than disappointed, about the way things turned out with Albion. “When I look back at the situation at that time it was all about getting results and Michel (Kuipers) and Wayne (Henderson) were the two generally ahead of me,” he said. “I got a lot of good experience at Brighton and that set me in good stead for coming up to Manchester.”

Unfortunately, a knee injury Martin sustained shortly after sidelined him until the following March. Then in April, City allowed him to move temporarily to Burton Albion as cover because their first choice ‘keeper Kevin Poole was injured.

When released by City in the summer of 2009, more Albion connections provided him with his next opportunity, and finally the opportunity to play league football, at Yeovil Town.

Martin at Yeovil (picture by YTFC Digital)

In the Seagulls’ 2004 play-off winning season, Martin was a youth-teamer when Glovers assistant boss Jones was Albion’s left-back and goalkeeping coach Roberts was between the sticks.

Ahead of Brighton’s 2-2 draw at Huish Park on 10 October 2009, Martin told Brian Owen of the Argus: “I was fortunate I got the call from Yeovil in the summer and went down there for a trial. They liked what they saw. Of course, I know Nathan and Ben well and the fact they knew about me must have helped them make a decision.”

Martin was on the bench for the Albion fixture but had made his league debut shortly before as a substitute when first-choice Alex McCarthy (at the time on loan from Reading) was sent-off 20 minutes into a 2-2 draw with Stockport County. With McCarthy banned, Martin got his first start in a defeat at Southampton.

However, in total he made just three league and two cup appearances in that first half of the season and in January 2010 was loaned to Conference National bottom-placed side Grays Athletic – and within the space of a fortnight had conceded 11 goals in three matches!

Although he returned to Yeovil after a month, McCarthy’s fine form denied him any further first team action at Huish Park and he was released in July 2010. After brief spells with Havant & Waterlooville and Crawley Town, Yeovil re-signed him on 31 December 2010.

Plenty to say in goal for Puerto Rico Islanders

However, in March 2011 he had the opportunity to head to the Caribbean and play for Puerto Rico Islanders, who at the time were in the second tier of the North American Soccer League. He made his debut in May 2011 having initially been back-up ‘keeper and then signed for a second season, during which he established himself as first choice and played a total of 33 matches.

Talking on camera after the NASL player of the month award

In August 2012 he was named NASL player of the month, and he was interviewed about the experience of playing for the Islanders. There is an excellent montage feature in which the commentator purrs in this YouTube footage: “Richard Martin has the reflexes of a jungle cat.”  

Back in the UK in 2013, Martin played briefly for Whitehawk and Burgess Hill before retiring.