Walter Martin Watkins (21 March 1880 – 14 May 1942) was a Welsh footballer who played in the Football League for Aston Villa, Stoke and Sunderland.[1][2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Walter Martin Watkins[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1880 | ||
| Place of birth | Caersws, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 14 May 1942 (aged 62)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Stoke-on-Trent, England[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1894–1896 | Caersws | ||
| 1896–1900 | Oswestry Town | ||
| 1900–1903 | Stoke | 108 | (44) |
| 1903–1904 | Aston Villa | 6 | (1) |
| 1904–1905 | Sunderland | 15 | (9) |
| 1905–1906 | Crystal Palace | 15 | (6) |
| 1906–1907 | Northampton Town | 38 | (11) |
| 1907–1908 | Stoke | 17 | (4) |
| 1908–1909 | Crewe Alexandra | ||
| 1909–1910 | Stafford Rangers | ||
| 1910–1911 | Tunstall Park | ||
| Total | 161 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 1902–1908 | Wales | 10 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editWatkins was born in Caersws and was one of six sons of a Welsh farmer from Llanwnnog in Montgomeryshire. Along with his elder brother Ernie, Mart played for his local club, Oswestry Town where he was spotted by Football League side Stoke.[2] He signed in August 1900 and with the "Potters" awful start to the 1900–01 season – one point from the first seven games – ensured a rapid entrance to first team football.[2] Tall and slim with a neat moustache, Watkins was described as a 'smart player', possessing a whiplash shot who pass to his winger before dashing back into the penalty area to launch himself at the ensuing cross.[2]
Watkins helped Stoke avoid relegation in 1900–01, scoring the winning goal in the team's last three matches.[2] In 1901–02 he finished top scorer with 16 and repeated the feat with 13 in 1902–03 which earned him some Welsh caps.[2] In January 1904 Manchester City offered Stoke £450 for Watkins' services. The deal collapsed, but with Stoke desperate for funds following the construction of a new stand Aston Villa manager George Ramsey signed Watkins for a 'high price' joining up with former Stoke winger Arthur Lockett.[2]
His career at Villa Park didn't last long after playing just six matches scoring once, ironically against Stoke, he signed for Sunderland in October 1904. Watkins made his debut for Sunderland on 22 October 1904 in a 3–0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Roker Park where he scored two goals.[3] Over his career at the club, he made 15 league appearances scoring nine goals.[4]
Watkins then joined the newly formed Crystal Palace in the Southern Football League Division Two, helping them win the league and gain promotion to the First Division, scoring six goals in 15 league appearances and in the FA Cup netting six from six appearances.[5] Watkins then moved to Northampton Town then in 1907 he rejoined Stoke who at the time were on the brink of bankruptcy.[2] He scored five goals in 20 matches as a Stoke endured a terrible 1907–08 which saw the supporters abandon the team and the club entered liquidation, resigning from the Football League in the process.[2] Watkins then played for Crewe Alexandra followed by moves to Stafford Rangers and Tunstall Park. Watkins did return to Stoke in 1911 but failed to win a contract and decided to retire from football.[2]
International career
editWatkins played ten times for the Wales national team scoring four goals. In July 2021 Watkins' Welsh cap from 1905 was donated to the Football Museum for Wales by the Watkins family who had emigrated to Australia.[6]
Career statistics
editClub
editSource:[7]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke | 1900–01 | First Division | 28 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 10 |
| 1901–02 | First Division | 32 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 36 | 16 | |
| 1902–03 | First Division | 29 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 13 | |
| 1903–04 | First Division | 19 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 8 | |
| Total | 108 | 44 | 11 | 3 | 119 | 47 | ||
| Aston Villa | 1903–04 | First Division | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1904–05 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Sunderland | 1904–05 | First Division | 15 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| Stoke | 1907–08 | Second Division | 17 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 5 |
| Career Total | 146 | 58 | 15 | 4 | 161 | 62 | ||
International
editSource:[8]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 1902 | 1 | 0 |
| 1903 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1904 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1905 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1908 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 4 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287554.
- ^ "Sunderland 3–0 Sheffield Wednesday". The Stat Cat. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
- ^ "Walter Watkins". The Stat Cat. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
- ^ King, Ian (2012). Crystal Palace: The Complete Record 1905–2011. Derby Books Publishing Company Limited. pp. 228–9, 554–5. ISBN 978-1-78091-221-9.
- ^ "Football cap from 1905 returns to Wales from Australia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ Mart Watkins at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ Watkins, Mart at National-Football-Teams.com