Martin McDonnell – SkyBlueArchive

Position

Defender

Nationality

Place Of Birth

Newton-Le-Willows

Date Of Birth

April 27, 1924

Date Of Death

April 7, 1988 (63)

Games Played

Per Game

Games Started

1.0

Per Game

Minutes

6060

90.4

Per Game

Goals

Per Game

Assists

Per Game

Lancashire-born Martin McDonnell was only 15-years old when the War broke out in 1939 and as soon as he was old enough he joined the paratroopers and had a distinguished career, serving in Normandy and Holland during the last year of the war. His first football was during the war at Everton; he played four first team games alongside Goodison legends such as Tommy Lawton and Alex Stevenson.

After the war he joined Southport before in 1946 joiningd Birmingham City, managed at the time by former City boss Harry Storer. In his first season at St Andrews the Blues won promotion to Division 1 and Martin made 13 appearances at centre-half. In the top flight Martin struggled to win a place in the side and played only nine games in 1948-49. In October 1949 Storer, who had left Birmingham to rejoin Coventry, signed him for £3,500.

For the next six seasons the tough, uncompromising defender was first choice for the Bantams. He was bought to replace the veteran centre-half George Mason and was Storer’s kind of player, never giving less than 100% effort. After a brief initial spell at right-back he replaced Mason in early 1950 and his excellent form was one of the reasons for City avoiding relegation that year. The next season he was an ever-present as City had their best post-war campaign; at one stage they looked promotion certainties but fizzled out. Nothing went right for the club in 1951-52 and Martin, despite some sterling performances, was in a relegated team for the first time.

In 1953-54 season McDonnell skippered the side in the long absence of Noel Simpson but with the board selling the club’s best young talent all the time it was impossible for the team to make a realistic promotion challenge.

Storer left Coventry in 1953 but when he resurfaced as manager at Derby County in 1955 one of his first signings was Martin. The big man, now 31-years old, set a great example with his fitness and enthusiasm and helped Derby to win the Third Division North championship in 1957.

A move to Crewe came in 1958 but early in his career with the Cheshire side he discovered he had been playing with a broken bone in his foot for several weeks. He retired soon afterwards and returned to the Coventry area where he became an estate agent and operated from Walsgrave Road as well as enjoying his hobby of breeding Alsatian dogs. He died aged 63 in 1988.

Martin played 232 league games for Coventry without scoring a single goal and he also played another 180 games for other clubs without netting.

Own goals (1)
1954-55
28 August 1954 v Brentford A