Joe Marston

Football player infobox
playername = Joe Marston
fullname = Joe Marston
nickname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1926|01|07
cityofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height =
currentclub = retired
clubnumber =
position = fullback or central midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1943-1949 1950-1955 1955-1958 1959-1964 1969
clubs = Leichhardt-Annandale Preston North End Leichhardt-Annandale A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers Western Suburbs SC
caps(goals) = 185 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 1958
1965
1966
1966
1967-1969
1972-1973
1974-1977
1978-1979
managerclubs = Australia player/coach
APIA
Australia
APIA
Western Suburbs
APIA
Auburn
Sydney Olympic
pcupdate = 15 July 2007
ntupdate =

Joe Marston MBE (born January 7, 1926) was the first Australian to appear in a FA Cup Final when he turned out for Preston North End in their 1954 defeat to West Bromwich Albion. The Joe Marston Medal, awarded to the man of the match in the A-League and National Soccer League grand finals, was named in his honour.

Marston was 28 when he played at Wembley Stadium alongside Tom Finney and Tommy Docherty. After the War, Marston had played for Leichhardt-Annandale in Division 1 of the New South Wales State League, supplementing his income by working as a painter and life-guard.

In December 1949, Marston received correspondence from a scout in England who had watched him play, informing him that Preston wished to offer him a trial. Their interest was such that they paid for Marston's wife, Edith, to join him on the journey to England.

Marston spent time in the reserves, until an injury to Harry Mattinson enabled him to get a run in the first team during the Second Division title season in 1951 and losing out to Arsenal for the 1952-53 season on goal average; remaining at centre-half at Deepdale as an ever-present until 1954, making 154 appearances and being selected for the Football League side against the Scottish Football League. Marston eventually returned to Australia in 1956 because of homesickness, despite other big English clubs and Preston still wanting the Australian.

Marston was an Australian football international appearing for the Socceroos during Blackpool's 1958 tour of Australia in which Stanley Matthews appeared; and appearing and coaching the national side during Hearts tour of the country in 1959.

He is an inductee into the NSW Hall of Champions. Joe Marston and his wife Edith live on the New South Wales Central Coast and they are still passionately interested in soccer. In February 2008 Marston was at the A-League Grand Final to personally present the eponymous medal to the winner, Andrew Durante.

In September 2008 Marston was a recipient of one of the two inaugural Alex Tobin Medals awarded by the Australian Professional Footballers Association. [http://www.pfa.net.au/index.php?id=103&aid=131]

links

* [http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/Visiting/recreational_activities/nsw_hall_of_champions NSW Hall of Champions]
* [http://football.guardian.co.uk/news/theknowledge/0,9204,465300,00.html The Guardian]
* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040519/ai_n12784466 The Independent]