OTD: MARTIN SCOTT BORN

On this day in 1968, former Sunderland left-back Martin Scott was born in Sheffield. He made 126 appearances for the Lads between 1994 and 1999, winning two First Division titles whilst on Wearside.

Scott began his professional career at Rotherham United, who he joined aged 14 as an apprentice initially. In 1989, he helped them to a Fourth Division title but left in December 1990 to join Bristol City for a fee of £200,000 in the Second Division. He parted ways with City in December 1994 to join Sunderland for £450,000 plus Gary Owers going the other way. We had previously tried to sign Scott in the summer of 1994 but had a £500,000 bid rejected.

In his second season with us, he helped the club to the Premier League via the First Division title. This was also his most involved campaign with the club and most prolific in front of goal, playing 43 times and scoring six in the league.

Injuries were the order of the day after this first second tier title triumph in 1996. Time on the treatment table meant he could only manage 15 Premier League appearances in 1996/97 as we were relegated on 40 points on the final day. Injuries followed him back into the First Division and in the season we went back up to the top flight, 1998/99, Scott could only muster up 14 matches in the league and seven in the cup competitions.

In 1999, he was released and almost joined Bradford City in the top division but he was unable to do so due to an ankle injury and he retired without playing for another club. After this disappointment, he embarked on a coaching career. He stayed in the North East and became youth team manager at Hartlepool United before he was appointed manager of the first team for eight months. Scott’s time as the man in the dugout was highly unsuccessful, he joined late in the 2004/05 season and was sacked in January of the next, with the club eventually being relegated out of League One.

After this, he worked as the assistant at Bury and then as under-18 coach at Middlesbrough. A year later, he took up a position as Boro’s reserve manager before being sacked in 2010. He was then a coach at Barnsley for just under a year prior to moving back to the North East with South Shields.

At the Mariners, he was the assistant manager between 2016 and 2022 and also worked as a director at his own football academy. He had a very good time of things, with the club winning the Northern Premier League and an FA Vase whilst he was involved.