Martin Foyle

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Martin John Foyle (born 2 May 1963 in Salisbury, Wiltshire) is a former British football player, and is now manager of Port Vale. He began his career with Southampton and also played for Blackburn Rovers (on loan), Aldershot and Oxford United before signing for Port Vale in the summer of 1991 for a club record £375,000.

His first game for the Valiants was against his old club Oxford, and he scored both goals in a 2-1 win. Although he finished as leading scorer in the 1991-92 campaign, the club finished bottom of the old Division 2 that season and were relegated.

During the following season Foyle was part of the team which won the Autoglass Trophy and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion before losing the play-off final against West Bromwich Albion. The following season Foyle was again the club's leading scorer as the club finally achieved promotion in 1994.

During his time at Port Vale, Foyle scored 107 goals, making him the club's record post-war goalscorer. Some of his important goals include a late equaliser in a league cup tie at Liverpool in 1991, two at Brighton which sealed promotion in 1994, and one in a game at Huddersfield Town in 1998 which saved the club from relegation.

Persistent injuries forced him to retire from professional football in 2000, but he stayed at the club as manager of the youth team. When Brian Horton left the club by mutual consent in February 2004, Foyle took over first team responsibilities and narrowly missed out on a play-off place on goal difference at the end of the 2004-05 season.


Port Vale F.C. - Current Squad

1 Goodlad | 2 Pilkington | 3 Talbot | 4 Sonner | 5 Walsh | 6 Walker | 7 Moore | 8 Harsley | 9 Lowndes | 10 Constantine | 11 Smith | 12 Anyon | 14 Whitaker | 15 Abbey | 16 McGregor | 17 Husbands | 18 Miles | 19 Cardle | 20 Sodje | 22 Soboljew | 23 Prosser | 24 Briscoe | 25 Smith | 26 Martin | 27 Gardner | Manager: Foyle