Martin Thomas (footballer)

Martin Richard Thomas

Personal information
Date of birth	28 November 1959 (1959-11-28) (age 51)
Place of birth	Senghenydd, Wales
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper (retired)
Youth career
1975–1977	Bristol Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1977–1983	Bristol Rovers	162	(0)
1982	→ Cardiff City (loan)	15	(0)
	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	0	(0)
1983	→ Southend United (loan)	6	(0)
1983	→ Newcastle United (loan)	3	(0)
1983–1988	Newcastle United	115	(0)
1984	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	4	(0)
1988–1993	Birmingham City	144	(0)
	→ Aston Villa (loan)	0	(0)
1993	→ Crystal Palace (loan)	0	(0)
1993–1995	Cheltenham Town	80	(0)
National team
	Wales U-21	2	(0)
1986	Wales	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Martin Richard Thomas (born 28 November 1959) is a Welsh former footballer, currently a goalkeeping coach within the Football Association. His official title is "Assistant National Goalkeeping Coach".

Playing career

Born in Senghenydd, Glamorgan, Thomas moved to England to join Bristol Rovers as a youth player. He made his début for their first team on 3 January 1977, as a substitute for Jim Eadie in the away match at Charlton Athletic. Thomas turned professional in September of that year, and went on to become Rovers' first-choice goalkeeper.

He faced competition for his jersey with England youth goalkeeper Phil Kite before going on loan to three clubs during 1982–83, first Cardiff City, then Tottenham Hotspur and Southend United. He left Bristol completely in 1983 to join Newcastle United for £50,000.

Thomas appeared regularly for Newcastle as they won promotion to the top-flight in 1984. He was the club's first choice goalkeeper for the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons. In September 1986, he won his first and only international cap for Wales, in a European Championship qualifier against Finland.

After a spell on loan to local rivals Middlesbrough, Thomas was sold to Division Two Birmingham City for £75,000 in October 1988. The club suffered relegation in 1989, but returned in 1992. In 1993, after loan spells to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, Thomas joined non-league Cheltenham Town. He made 80 league appearances for the club before retiring as a player in 1995.

Coaching career

Thomas earned a preliminary coaching certificate whilst playing at Newcastle, and supplemented this with further coaching badges during his time at Birmingham. He eventually earned the UEFA 'A' Coaching license, taking a position within the FA in the early 1990s as a Regional Development Officer in the Midlands.

On a part-time basis, Thomas, with other professional goalkeepers, including Steve Ogrizovic, Paul Barron, and Andy Poole, helped train players aged 12–16 from clubs across the Midlands, in a time when clubs did not have goalkeeping-specific coaches.

In 1996, Thomas helped to coach England's under-16 goalkeepers, before joining the FA full-time in 1997, and has since remained part of the England youth coaching. In 1998 Thomas became part of the new Ray Clemence-headed goalkeeping department within the FA, which developed a structure for coaching goalkeeper coaches.

In 2007, Thomas was part of the England U21 coaching staff which took the team to the semi-finals of Euro 2007.

References

• "Past Player Profile - Martin Thomas". Cheltenham Town official website. http://www.cheltenhamtownfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PastPlayersDetail/0,,10434~65648,00.html. Retrieved 2007-06-21. 
• Jamie Bradbury. "Keeping it real". thefa.com. http://www.thefa.com/England/U21s/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2006/10/EngU21s_MartinThomas.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-21. ^{[dead link]}
• "Player Profile... Martin Thomas". Newcastle United Football Club a statistical journey.... K. H. Scott. http://www.toon1892.co.uk/detail_player.php?pid=744. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
• "Martin Thomas". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/martinthomas.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-11. 
• Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. pp. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9. 

Persondata
Name	Thomas, Martin Richard
Alternative names
Short description	Professional footballer, coach
Date of birth	1959-11-28
Place of birth	Senghenydd, Wales
Date of death
Place of death