Nigel Martyn: Former England goalkeeper savours ‘special’ international cricket call-up
The names of those who will play both cricket and football for England evoke a very different era: cigarette cards, blazers and the faint scent of Brylcreem.
Yesterday sporting greats such as Denis Compton, CB Fry and Tip Foster are among the 12 to achieve this.
Arthur Milton was the last man to play the first of six Tests in 1958 – seven years after winning his solitary England football cap against Austria.
Another name on the verge of joining this pantheon is a newer name like goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.
Well, sort of…
Martyn, who was capped 23 times for the Three Lions in football, had to face the England Over 60s cricket team after returning to the sport he has always loved.
His temples may have turned a little grayer, but the prospect of becoming a double international this summer still stirred something inside him.
“It’s quite a special situation,” Martyn told BBC Sport.
“Obviously as a professional wicketkeeper I wasn’t allowed to play cricket in the summer because that could have threatened broken fingers and things like that.
“I retired due to ankle stress, so I didn’t think I would be able to play cricket again. But in 2011, I got the all clear that I was going to do it and started playing again.”
Martyn made his professional football break for Bristol Rovers in 1987 after being recommended to their then manager Gerry Francis by the club’s tea lady Vi Harris.
The Cornishman later played for Crystal Palace, Leeds and Everton, making 666 league appearances before retiring in 2006.
Martyn still plays club cricket and now trains at Scarcroft CC just outside Leeds.
A few years ago he helped Knaresborough CC to the North Yorkshire Premier League alongside former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Born in St Austell, Martyn’s path to the international league emerged from Cornwall’s county age-group matches; this required an 800-mile round trip from his home in Yorkshire for matches.
“My good friend Sean Hooper, captain of the Cornwall Over-50s team, asked me about six years ago if he wanted to play for Cornwall,” he said.
“The last time we played was with Cornwall Schools Under-15s. From there Cornwall recommended me to England.
“It’s a long journey, but being able to go home and see family more often was always a bonus.”
