Martin Aldridge

Martin Aldridge

Personal information
Full name	Martin James Aldridge
Date of birth	6 December 1974(1974-12-06)
Place of birth	Northampton, England
Date of death	30 January 2000(2000-01-30) (aged 25)
Place of death	Oxford, England
Playing position	Forward
Youth career
1991–1993	Northampton Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993–1995	Northampton Town	70	(17)
1995	→ Dagenham & Redbridge (loan)
1995–1998	Oxford United	72	(19)
1998	→ Southend United (loan)	11	(1)
1998–2000	Blackpool	26	(7)
1999	→ Port Vale (loan)	3	(0)
2000	→ Rushden & Diamonds (loan)	1	(0)
Total		183+	(44+)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Martin James Aldridge (6 December 1974 – 30 January 2000) was an English professional footballer.

Playing career

Northampton-born Aldridge joined Coventry City as a schoolboy, but was released in 1990. As a sixteen year old, he then played for Ford Sports Daventry (UCL first division), and joined Braunston Rangers on a Sunday to play with his brother Pete. He scored two goals in a 3-2 win over Kettering Cordwainer to win the county cup. He also helped Braunston win the league and league cup that year.

Aldridge began his professional career as a trainee with his local side, Northampton Town, joining them from Brainston on leaving school in the summer of 1991 and turning professional in August 1993. On 15 October 1994, he scored the first-ever competitive goal at Northampton's new Sixfields Stadium (against Barnet). He moved to Dagenham & Redbridge on loan in December 1995 and later that month moved to Oxford United on a free transfer.

In February 1998, Aldridge joined Southend United on loan, playing eleven times, before returning to Oxford, who released him at the end of the season.^[1] In August 1998 he joined Blackpool, and was the club's top scorer in 1998–99. In September 1999 he joined Port Vale on loan, and in January 2000 he joined Rushden & Diamonds, also on loan.

Death

On 30 January 2000, Aldridge died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash after leaving Rushden's 6-0 Conference win against Northwich Victoria for which he had been an unused substitute. He was travelling home towards Northampton on the westbound A45 after the game when his Peugeot was involved in a collision with a BMW travelling in the opposite direction. After being cut free from his car, he was taken to Northampton General Hospital with serious injuries. He was later transferred to a hospital in Oxford, where he died early the following morning.^[2] He was 25 years old. An inquest into his death, conducted in October 2000, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

References

1. ^ "Massey: I've Been Dumped By United". Oxford Mail. 21 May 1998. http://archive.oxfordmail.net/1998/5/21/85748.html. Retrieved 1 July 2010. 
2. ^ Footballer dies in car crash BBC News

External links

• Martin Aldridge career stats at Soccerbase

Persondata
Name	Aldridge, Martin
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	6 December 1974
Place of birth	Northampton, England
Date of death	30 January 2000
Place of death	Oxford, England