Martin Burleigh

Martin Stewart Burleigh (2 February 1951 – 27 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who made 222 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Newcastle United, Darlington, Carlisle United and Hartlepool United.

Martin Burleigh
Personal information
Full name Martin Stewart Burleigh[1]
Date of birth (1951-02-02)2 February 1951[2]
Place of birth Willington, County Durham, England
Date of death 27 September 2021(2021-09-27) (aged 70)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
196?–1968 Willington
1968–1974 Newcastle United 11 (0)
1974Darlington (loan) 9 (0)
1974–1975 Darlington 21 (0)
1975–1977 Carlisle United 26 (0)
1977–1979 Darlington 71 (0)
1979–1982 Hartlepool United 84 (0)
1982–1983 Bishop Auckland
1983–1984 Spennymoor United
1984–1985 Langley Park
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career

Burleigh was born in Willington, County Durham.[2] He played football for his local club, Willington A.F.C., before joining Newcastle United as a 17-year-old on amateur forms in October 1968. He replaced the injured Dave Clarke in a strong Newcastle team for Barrie Thomas's testimonial match in November,[3][4] and turned professional in December.[5] Burleigh was a member of the Newcastle United youth team that won the 1969 Rotterdam International Youth Tournament, defeating Arsenal's youngsters in the final.[6]

He made his first-team debut on 26 December 1970, in a 3–0 defeat away to Leeds United in the First Division,[7] and Leeds' manager, Don Revie, was complimentary: "I thought he had a fine game. He had no chance with the goals. Some of the saves he made showed he has a fine future ahead of him".[8] Burleigh had to wait over a year before making another senior appearance; his home debut came on 8 January 1972 in a 4–2 league victory over Coventry City.[9]

An injury to undisputed first-choice goalkeeper Iam McFaul in February 1973 allowed Burleigh a run of games in the first team,[10][9] which ended when his left index finger was broken by a kick from Mick Channon during a 1–1 draw away to Southampton and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.[11][12] A dispute with manager Joe Harvey stemming from his return to pre-season training seriously overweight caused him to walk out of the club.[13] He returned, but played only twice more, the last of his 15 first-team appearances for Newcastle coming on 11 May 1974 against Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park.[9] When he again reported overweight for the 1974–75 season, the club threatened to cancel his contract, at which point he resigned and considered joining the RAF.[14]

The club retained Burleigh's Football League registration, loaned him to Fourth Division club Darlington in October 1974,[15] and made the transfer permanent in December for a fee reported as £3,000 plus 50% of the profit on any future sale.[16] He spent that season as Darlington's first-choice goalkeeper, and then moved on to Carlisle United, newly relegated to the Second Division, in June 1975.[2] Although a transfer request was accepted in November that same year,[17] Burleigh remained with Carlisle until 1977. He then returned to Darlington for a further two-year spell,[2] in the first of which he was the club's player of the season.[18] He finished his professional career with three seasons at Fourth Division Hartlepool United, for whom he made 96 appearances in all competitions,[19] before moving into non-league football in 1982 with Bishop Auckland,[2] and then playing for Spennymoor United and Langley Park.[20]

After his professional football career ended, Burleigh worked as a painter and decorator based in Ferryhill, County Durham.[10] He died on 27 September 2021 at the age of 70.[21]

In September 2022 a memorial bench was unveiled by The Toon Legends Club at The Manor House, Ferryhill

Honours

Newcastle United

References

  1. "Martin Burleigh". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  2. "Martin Burleigh". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  3. "NUFC 1968/69 – Diary". Toon Times. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  4. "United give Burleigh his chance". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. 26 November 1968. p. 16.
  5. Gibson, John (6 December 1968). "Burleigh signs full-time". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 26.
  6. Gibson, John (2 March 2018). "How Newcastle United's other big success 50 years ago is not being forgotten". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  7. "Burleigh, MS (Martin)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  8. Donoghue, John (28 December 1970). "Revie pays tribute to Burleigh". The Journal. Newcastle. p. 11.
  9. "Player Details: Martin Burleigh". Toon1892. Kenneth H Scott. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  10. Struthers, Greg (17 April 2005). "Newcastle United win the Anglo-Italian Cup, 1973: Caught in time". Sunday Times. London. p. Sport 26. Retrieved 28 September 2021 via Gale OneFile: News.
  11. "Hill to look for sponsors". The Guardian. 17 April 1973. p. 27.
  12. Gorman, Ken (16 April 1973). "Burleigh blasts Channon after injury K.O.". The Journal. Newcastle. p. 18.
  13. Gibson, John (17 November 1973). "United set to slap new fine on Burleigh". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 18.
  14. Gibson, John (26 July 1974). "We were fed up with Burleigh". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 30.
  15. Gibson, John (17 October 1974). "Burleigh goes on loan to Darlington". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 30.
  16. Gibson, John (11 December 1974). "Burleigh is on move". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 22.
  17. "Millwall sell to survive". The Guardian. 13 November 1975. p. 19.
  18. Amos, Mike (8 February 2005). "West set for big stage". The Northern Echo. Darlington. p. 22 via Newsbank.
  19. "Player stats: MS Burleigh". PoolStats. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  20. "Archives: Where are they now? – B". NUFC.com. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  21. Colman, Jon (27 September 2021). "Tributes paid after death of former Carlisle United and Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Burleigh". News and Star. Carlisle. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  22. "Tributes to Martin Burleigh, John Tobin and Dennis Dolphin". Northern Echo. 30 October 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
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