Ronnie Martell

DOB: 28th February 1923

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 1946/47

Season of last appearance: 1958/59

Full Appearances: 188

Substitute: 0

Goals: 77

Also played for:

Gravesend & Northfleet.

Player Profile:

Clever goalscoring forward, noted for his long-range shooting, who had two spells with Margate. Ronnie initially joined the club from local side St Peter's Old Boys in May 1947 and made just two reserve team appearances before breaking into the first-team. Ronnie made his debut for the senior side when he played in a 1-1 draw against Deal in the Kent League at Hartsdown Park on 10.5.47 and that was his only outing before the end of the 1946/47 season.

He then really established himself during the 1947/48 campaign, scoring 27 times in 46 appearances as Margate won the Kent League title. Ronnie's play was described as "delightful" by the local press and his goal tally made him the club's second highest scorer behind Frank Johnson. Ronnie's form led to him being watched by Football League scouts during the season.

His goals included a hat-trick in a 9-1 win at Aylesford Paper Mills on 20.12.47 and a cheeky back-heeled effort in a 2-1 home win over Maidstone on 3.4.48. Ronnie also scored as Margate beat visitors Ramsgate 2-1 to win the Kent League Cup Final on 6.5.48 and in addition he was part of the side that won 4-1 at Gravesend & Northfleet to claim the Kent Senior Shield on 8.5.48, completing a three-trophy haul for the season.

He continued to be a first-team regular during the 1948/49 campaign but never quite recaptured his best form. Ronnie made 34 appearances but only managed eight goals and at one point he went nearly four months without scoring.

Things went better for him during the 1949/50 season and Ronnie scored 18 times to finish as Margate's joint leading goalscorer along with Frank Johnson. Both players scored their 50th goal for the club during the season. The 39 appearances Ronnie made took him past 100 for Margate but perhaps the highlight of the campaign for him was on 19.11.49 - he got married in the morning before captaining Margate away at Sittingbourne in the afternoon and scoring in a 3-2 defeat.

In June 1950, Ronnie left the club and joined Gravesend & Northfleet. During the 1950/51 season, he made 15 first-team appearances for the Fleet and scored four goals before returning to Margate in May 1951.

During the 1951/52 season he made 25 appearances and scored ten goals.

Ronnie was troubled by injury during 1952/53 but scored seven times in 22 appearances and his goals included one direct from a corner. On 9.5.53, he was part of the side that drew 1-1 with visitors Folkestone on 9.5.53 to share the Kent Senior Shield.

Injuries limited Ronnie's appearances once again during the 1953/54 season and he only played seven times for the first-team, scoring three times. He also scored 11 reserve team goals.

During the 1954/55 season Ronnie didn't make a single first-team appearance and spent the entire campaign in the reserves, scoring 14 times for them. However, he did play six first-team games during 1955/56, scoring once.

The 1956/57 season saw Ronnie playing principally for the reserves once more and he didn't appear for the first-team until late December 1956. However, he then enjoyed a run of six games before losing his place once more. In total, Ronnie made seven first-team appearances during the season and scored twice.

During the 1957/58 campaign, he made only three first-team appearances, scoring against Sittingbourne in the first of them on 26.4.58. That goal proved to be Ronnie's last in the first-team. He scored 13 goals for the reserves during the season.

He stayed with the club for the 1958/59 campaign but only made a single first-team appearance, in a 2-0 Kent League defeat at Sittingbourne on 11.4.59. It was Ronnie's final game as he was released by the club at the end of the season. In total he made exactly 300 appearances for the first and reserve teams and scored 125 goals.

During the 1959/60 campaign, Ronnie was playing local football for Thanet Press.

He died in Thanet during 2001.