Martin Jimmy Image 2 Aberdare Athletic 1925

Description

Stoke-on-Trent born inside forward Jimmy Martin had been at local junior club Stoke St Peter’s prior to World War One before joining Basford in 1918, from where he joined hometown professional club Stoke City in 1919, just back into The Football League in the Second Division, for whom he made his debut at Barnsley in September 1919, scoring his only Stoke goal the following January against Nottingham Forest at The Victoria Ground. After 16 appearances he moved to Aberdare Athletic in the summer of 1921, top scoring with 16 goals in their inaugural Football League season in Division 3 (South) including scoring both goals in their opening Football League fixture, a 2-1 win at Welsh rivals Swansea Town.

His two full seasons at Aberdare brought 2 hat-tricks, against Queen’s Park Rangers and Exeter City, and he was once again the club’s top scorer in 1922-23 with 19 goals. He transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 1924 and his 6 goals in 11 appearances helped them to win the 1924-25 Division 3 (North) Championship, but he was not retained and joined Reading the following summer, playing a single season at Elm Park and scoring three times in 20 appearances.

He re-joined Aberdare Athletic in the summer of 1925, scoring 16 goals in 40 games including an incredible 5 goal haul against Watford in January 1926 in an 8-1 demolition of The Hornets and taking him to half a century of League goals for Aberdare, no-one else scored more. He moved again the following summer, this time to Bristol City, where his 11 goals helped bring the Division 3 (South) Championship to Ashton Gate, but after 18 goals in 43 appearances over 2 seasons, he was on the move again, this time to Blackpool in the summer of 1928.

He made 4 appearances for The Seasiders that October scoring twice on his debut against Clapton Orient but lost his place, and moved to Southend United in March 1929, where he again scored on his debut at Gillingham but played only 3 times during the Spring of 1929. He moved to Halifax Town that summer, scoring 4 goals in 18 appearances for The Shaymen, before joining non league Congleton Town in 1930, having scored for every one of his 8 League clubs.

NB although published in 1927 after his move from Aberdare to Bristol City, this image clearly shows Martin in an Aberdare shirt, probably taken during his second spell with the Welsh club in 1925-26.