martyn lancaster

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Exclusive Interview with Martyn Lancaster

Lancaster

With the loss of Atlanta Silverbacks, Atlanta has lost the only pro soccer team in the city. With that our players instantly became free agents.

One of the fans favorites, who found himself in this situation, was rock solid defender Martyn Lancaster. However, good news has come to us all the way from Scotland with the report that Martyn has landed with Scottish first division team Queen of the South.

Knowing this, we will have a number of Atlnata fans adopting a replacement team from across the big pond.

Following is an interview with Martyn just weeks before the folding of the Silverbacks.

I present this interview as a souvenir to his loyal service to Atlnata and a send off to his new club, "Queen of the South".

Here, Martyn hangs with the fans after a international club friendly against Olimpia - a team from the country of Honduras in Latin America. His opposite number gladly swapped shirts with him in the spirit of sportsmanship.

copyright 2008 by www.Images-Frozen-In-Time.com

The English Minister of DefenseMartyn Lancaster

Former Atlanta Silverback and current Queen of the South central defender gave his thoughts on his beginings in the game, his career in Britain and the USA and his outlook on the future for his career. [Note: This interview was before the Atlanta Silverbacks folded]

Legends

Martyn, Thanks for sitting down with us. How have you been doing since the end of the season?

You are more than welcome to come out here anytime. I have been doing very well, thanks.

I know there is disappointment after missing the playoffs this season after such a promissing start. What do you think were some of the factors in season that contributed to missing the playoffs.

Well, we actually started the season very

well. But a number of things undermied the season. Terrible injuries to our frontline hurt our attack which was one of the best in the league when we started out. Then as the season went on, our ownership decided to sell off some of the best talent on the team. The subsequent poor results really illustrated the change in direction that happened midway through the season.

I guess now we now know the bad economy influenced the Silverbacks to sell off some of our key players. What do you think of how things played out?



Yeah, Obviously disappointed. The previous year, we made it to the USL-1 championship game so we had every thought that we would be able to at least match that result. But as the season went on, injuries started to creep in and many key players started getting transferred. Lots of things started to work against us. We even began to wonder if our ownership wanted to win.

What do you think needs to happen to turn things around for next season?

We did bring in some capable players, but they will need time to set in. The base we have is very good. So staying together and getting the support we need from management and the fans will be key.

You say also the "fans". How have the fans been for you this past season?

Oh, they were brilliant really. Even as things started to go against us, the fan support was a major reason that our home record remained

decent though our away record was very poor. I feel that if we can get that support again and maintain a settled side, we can rebound and make some things happen next season.

Well, we in Westside 109 feel the same way. We always tried to lift the side especially when things were tough. Hearing this from you will give us more determination to continue support.

We really do appreciate the support!

Martyn, many of the fans know you as a tough defender that plays with determination, but we don't know much about your early career. Growing up, what club did you support?

I was born in Wigan England of greater Manchester. As a fan, I followed Manchester United. I was particualrly an admirer of Gary Palister and Steve Bruce. They were a rock at the back. Also Paul Parker who played right back in the early 90s.


I also was impressed by the play of Eric Cantona. He was a real special player for United.

What about you? As a youth player how did you start out?

I started out playing as a right winger? At that time I didn't consider myself as a defender at all, I liked to get forward and run at players. In fact, I didn't even like to head the ball. I was a bit of a "Nancy" when it came to playing with a tough style.

Oh, so you started out as a bit of a "pretty boy" did you?

Oh yeah! (LAGUHS) I played for the glamour of attacking football. But later, I began to be put in more defensive rolls and a coach who watched me play as an apprentice when I was 15 - 16 years old told me he thought I would make a good center back. And I began playing mainly at the back at that early time.

Where were you an apprentice?

At Chester City. That is where I really started to play more as a defender. I was moved to play mainly as a right back before being put in the middle of defence. Chester City were in the 3rd division at that time. I became a pro there at the age of 17. Kevin Ratcliff was the coach that actually signed me on as a pro. (editor: I did not realize that Ratcliff was a famous defender for Everton in the 80s - ignorance born from living in the wrong country as it concerns football). I'll show you some stuff from the scrap book from that time...

(we spent some time looking over the scrap book which wa a special treat for me)

What was next after that?

After the spell at Chester City, I played with Leigh RMI (Railway Mechanics Institute) and also spent some time at Northwich Victoria


and Southport. I even had a trail with Aston Villa back in 1999, but things did not work out due to a change in management and direction there. To be honest, I sort of lost my way a bit during this time and spent a bit of time out of football.

Was there a reason why you faltered in football?

Not any one thing really, I just got caught up in some things that were not to my advantage. But as luck would have it, this led to the circumstances that brought me to the USA.

Really? How so?

Well, while I was at Chester, I played for 8 different managers. it was tough because each manager brought in a different way to play and wanted to bring in their own players as part of their new strategy for the team. Although I was captain at Leigh,

tthey were a part time club. They were one of about 4 clubs at the time that were part time. Very different today as all the teams in that league are full professional.

But being part time, they only trained twice a week. They didn't have the resources to train every day like I was use to and this really was the begining of some bad habits for me.

The extra free time was not well spent I suspect?

Exactly! I sort of lost my way as I said earlier. I became distracted and gypsied around a bit during this time, but this does lead to the story of me coming to the States.

Yeah, what happened there?

Well, I am working in a Bar at a golf club while playing for Southport and I meet this guy, Barry Wellings, who asked me if I would

Martyn's wife, Misty. A major and positive influence in his life.


be interested in coaching in America. I said "Sure, that would be fine." But honestly, I just kind of blew it off and I half thought he was kidding.

Well, some months later, I get this call in the middle of the night and it's Barry telling me there was a position ready for me in North Carolina Darlington High School.

He had tickets for my flight and everything. And I thought, well, why not? I could do some coaching at the school and then just come back in time for the season. (This call came during the summer offseason). So I go over with no real thougth of staying and that is where I met my wife, Misty, who was at the school doing a tennis camp. She was a tennis instructor and we really hit it off immediately. One thing let to another and I deceided to stay in US.

I mean, I was away from my distractions and I was getting to know this lovely lady and it was really working out for me.

But at this point you are not playing football. What led you back to playing?

Well, while I was coaching, I began to really miss playing and it was at this time that another coach encouraged me to go to one of the open try-outs that the Atlanta Silverbacks was having. So I weent there and met coach Smith and had a try out.

How did that turn out?

Actually not too well. In that league, the team was limited to the number of Internatinoals that can be on a roster. Coach Smith really wanted to sign Felipe Quintero from Mexico to be in goal. With the other Internationals he already had,


there was no room to include me, so I didn't make it on the team that time around.

Wow, I never knew that, but how did you come to get on the team then?

Well, there was another team in North Carolina called the Wilmington Hammerheads and it was coached by a guy from my same area back in England. So I gave them a call on the off chance that they had a position open and they did. I went for a trial and impressed them and was signed on permanent contract.

Now Wilmington was in a lower division than Atlanta, but it was a great town for football because there was no competing sport for the team to go up against.

It was great, we were very well know in the city and we were treated like starts really. We actaully drew nearly 4500 to 5000 fans per game which was actually better than Atlanta.

The funny thing is, we did get an oppourtunity to

play against Atlnata in the US Open cup [editor: This is sort of like the English F.A Cup where teams from different divisions got a chance to play against each other in a knock out tournement]

So here I am playing against the team that had rejected me and we beat them. After the game, Coach Smith came to me and asked if I could come to Atlanta again to look at the possibility of me playing for them.

I agreed and went into talks with them and we agreed terms and I became a Atlanta Silverback.

That is quite a story. So in essesnce, you played your way up to a bigger division. I think that says a lot about the type of player you are.

Yeah, well, I like to play at the highest level possible. I'm enjoying Atlanta and I hope to continue to be a good influence for the team.


Martyn standing in front of his Atlanta Home. Martyn was very gracious and gave us as much time as we wanted. His openess and strong on the field work ethic were some of the reasons he had such a strong following amoung fans especially, those in Westside 109 stands.


Martyn took time to show us some of the highlights from his early career from some of the scrap books he had on-hand.

copyright 2008 by www.Images-Frozen-In-Time.comWell Martyn, we are certainly glad to have you here in Atlanta and we will need you if we are going to push for honors next season. When your playing days are over, do you have any plans for after your career.

I have no firm plans at the moment, but I would like to stay with football in some form. I have a UEFA "B" license to coach and I am a certified massage therapist. So I am developing skills that will be useful for me in a variety of fields.

That all sounds really good. With that license to coach, you should have an oppourtunity to get involved with coaching even before your playing days are over. Sort of a player-coach. Any thoughts about that?

I don't want to rule anything out of course. And that probably would appeal to me down the line. Right now I want to keep improving and continue to look to play at the highest level possible.

Martyn I want to thank you for your time. IS there anything else you would like the fans to know before we call it a day?

I just want to thank the fans for their support and to let them know that it does mean a lot to us on the field to get their support. We hope you will continue to come out and support us and we will perform to the best of our ability for all of you.

Thanks for your time Martyn and we hope to be able to sit down with you again once things get going again for next season.

Thanks you very much!


Martyn again signing autographs for the fans after our international club friendly with Argentine giants Independiente. Again swapping of shirts shows the mutual respect between the players on the field.

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