About Con Martin
Cornelius Joseph Martin (20 March 1923 – 24 February 2013) was an Irish footballer. Martin initially played Gaelic football for the Dublin county team before switching codes and embarking on a successful soccer career, playing for, among others, Drumcondra, Glentoran, Leeds United and Aston Villa. Martin was also a dual international and played and captained both Ireland teams – the FAI XI and the IFA XI. In 1949 he was a member of the FAI XI that defeated England 2–0 at Goodison Park, a feat that is often cited as the first non-UK team to beat England at home, although the team that day contained several players that were also capped by Northern Ireland due to the selection policy followed by both teams at the time. Martin, nicknamed Mr. Versatility, played in nearly every position during his soccer career. Although he played mainly as a centre-half, the ball-handling skills he developed playing Gaelic football also made him a very useful goalkeeper. He actually made his international debut with the FAI XI as a goalkeeper and despite turning down the chance to sign for Manchester United as a goalkeeper, he later played nearly a whole season in goal for Aston Villa. When this was discovered, the Gaelic Athletic Association, which maintained a ban on foreign sports, expelled Martin and withheld his winners medal. After half an hour of the first game on 16 June against Portugal, with the Irish already trailing 3–0, goalkeeper Ned Courtney was injured and the selectors put Martin in goal. He won his third cap on 30 September 1946 when he was a member of the first ever FAI XI to play against England.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.