| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Edward Marston | ||
| Date of birth | 7 January 1926 | ||
| Place of birth | Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Playing position | Manager, Right Back, Centre Back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1943–1949 | Leichhardt-Annandale | ||
| 1950–1955 | Preston North End | 185 | (0) |
| 1955–1958 | Leichhardt-Annandale | ||
| 1959–1964 | APIA Leichardt | ||
| 1969 | Western Suburbs SC | ||
| National team | |||
| 1947–1964 | Australia | 37 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1958 | Australia (Player-Coach) | ||
| 1965 | APIA Leichardt | ||
| 1966 | Australia | ||
| 1966 | APIA Leichardt | ||
| 1967–1969 | Western Suburbs | ||
| 1972–1973 | APIA Leichardt | ||
| 1974–1977 | Auburn | ||
| 1978–1979 | Sydney Olympic | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Joe Marston MBE (born 7 January 1926) was the first Australian to appear in a FA Cup Final when he turned out for Preston North End in their 1954 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.[1]
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Marston was 28 when he played at Wembley Stadium alongside Tom Finney and Tommy Docherty. After the War, Marston had played for Leichhardt-Annandale in Division 1 of the New South Wales State League, supplementing his income by working as a painter and life-guard.
In December 1949, Marston received correspondence from a scout in England who had watched him play, informing him that Preston wished to offer him a trial. Their interest was such that they paid for Marston's wife, Edith, to join him on the journey to England.
Marston spent time in the reserves, until an injury to Harry Mattinson enabled him to get a run in the first team during the Second Division title season in 1951 and losing out to Arsenal for the 1952-53 season on goal average; remaining at centre-half at Deepdale as an ever-present until 1954, making 154 appearances and being selected for the Football League side against the Scottish Football League. Marston eventually returned to Australia in 1956 because of homesickness, despite pleas from Preston to stay. Marston was also the target of a purported 80,000 pound transfer offer made by Arsenal.
Marston was an Australian football international appearing for the Socceroos during Blackpool's 1958 tour of Australia in which Stanley Matthews appeared; and appearing and coaching the national side during Hearts tour of the country in 1959.
He is an inductee into the NSW Hall of Champions. Joe Marston and his wife Edith live on the New South Wales Central Coast and they are still passionately interested in soccer.
In September 2008 Marston was a recipient of one of the two inaugural Alex Tobin Medals awarded by the Australian Professional Footballers Association.[2]
The Joe Marston Medal, awarded to the man of the match in the A-League and National Soccer League grand finals, was named in his honour.
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