Martin McGrath (footballer, born 1960)

Martin Laurence McGrath (born 15 October 1960)[1] is an English former footballer who played as a Midfielder for Southampton and Bournemouth in the early 1980s.

Martin McGrath
Personal information
Full name Martin Laurence McGrath
Date of birth (1960-10-15) 15 October 1960
Place of birth Hendon, England
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Chandlers Ford Rangers
1977–1978 Southampton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1980 Southampton 1 (0)
1980–1981 Bournemouth 22 (0)
1981–19?? Oxford City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

McGath was born in Hendon in north-west London but grew up in the Southampton area where he attended St Mary's College.[1] Having played international schoolboy football for England, he was signed by Southampton as an apprentice in August 1977, turning professional on his 18th birthday in October 1978.[1]

He played regularly for the reserves making 51 appearances with six goals.[2] His only first-team appearance came on 8 March 1980 at Elland Road when he replaced Trevor Hebberd in the second half of a 2–0 defeat by Leeds United.[3] In the summer of 1980, he was released and moved across the New Forest to spend a season with Bournemouth,[4] for whom he made 22 League appearances.[5]

Before the end of the 1980–81 season, he had left the Cherries and briefly joined non-league Oxford City in the Isthmian League Division One.[4] During his time at Oxford City, the club was managed by former England and West Ham United player Bobby Moore, assisted by Harry Redknapp.[6]

Later career

McGrath soon gave up football altogether and became a croupier and gaming inspector in the Ritz Club in London.[6] From 1990, he was employed by British Airways at Heathrow Airport, firstly as a salesman and then in Customer Services looking after VIPs.[6]

He moved to Normandy in 2005[6] from where he runs a website selling the Scuba brand of toothbrush.[7][8]

References
  1. Holley & Chalk 1992, pp. 223–224.
  2. Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 454–455.
  3. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 155.
  4. Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 549.
  5. Hugman 1981, p. 451.
  6. Chalk, Holley & Bull 2013, p. 391.
  7. "www.designertoothbrush.com". AliBaba.com. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  8. "Scuba Toothbrush". www.radiustoothbrush.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2014.

Bibliography
  • Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints – A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9926864-0-6.
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number – A Post-war Chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
  • Hugman, Barry (1981). Football League Players Records (1946–1981). Aylesbury: Rothmans Publications. ISBN 0-907574-08-4.
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