Martin Henry McDonnell (27 April 1924 – 7 April 1988) was an English footballer who played as a centre half. He made 412 appearances in the Football League, playing for Southport, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Derby County and Crewe Alexandra.[2]

Martin McDonnell
Personal information
Full name Martin Henry McDonnell[1]
Date of birth (1924-04-27)27 April 1924
Place of birth Newton-le-Willows, England
Date of death 7 April 1988(1988-04-07) (aged 63)[1]
Place of death Bedford, England
Position(s) Centre half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1942 Haydock C&B
1942–194? Everton 0 (0)
194?–1946 Earlestown
1946–1947 Southport 38 (0)
1947–1949 Birmingham City 32 (0)
1949–1955 Coventry City 232 (0)
1955–1958 Derby County 93 (0)
1958–19?? Crewe Alexandra 17 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

McDonnell was born in Newton-le-Willows, which was then in Lancashire, in 1924.[3] He played local football for Haydock C&B[4] before joining Everton in 1942.[1] After seven appearances in the wartime leagues spread over the next three seasons,[5] he returned to local football with Earlestown,[6] from where he joined Southport in August 1946, before the Football League resumed after the war.[1] After one season Harry Storer signed him for Birmingham City as deputy for Ted Duckhouse. Two years later, Storer, now managing Coventry City, signed him again, and McDonnell remained at the club for six seasons and played 250 games in all competitions. When Storer took over as manager of Derby County, he promptly signed McDonnell for the third time. After three seasons with Derby, where he played more than 100 games in all competitions and helped the club win the Third Division North title in 1956–57, McDonnell finished off his professional career at Crewe Alexandra.[3] He died in Bedford in 1988.[1]

Honours

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Derby County

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Martin McDonnell". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Martin McDonnell". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  4. ^ "C&B's Everton eight". Warrington Guardian. 20 February 2003. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  5. ^ Rollin, Jack (2005). Soccer at War 1939–45. London: Headline. pp. 330–31. ISBN 978-0-7553-1431-7.
  6. ^ Whalley, Alan (8 May 1997). "Those glory days are bulldozed". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 14 August 2015.