Martin Henderson (footballer)

Martin Henderson
Personal information
Full name William Martin Melville Henderson[1]
Date of birth (1956-05-03) 3 May 1956[2]
Place of birth Kirkcaldy, Scotland[2]
Playing position Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1978 Rangers 33 (10)
1977–1978 → Hibernian (loan) 6 (0)
1978 Philadelphia Fury 17 (3)
1978–1981 Leicester City 91 (12)
1981–1983 Chesterfield 87 (23)
1983–1984 Port Vale 27 (7)
Spalding United
Total 261+ (55+)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


William Martin Melville Henderson (born 3 May 1956) is a Scottish former footballer who played in Scotland, England, and the United States. A forward, he scored 52 goals in 244 league games in a ten-year career in the Football League and the Scottish Football League.[3]

He started his career at Rangers in 1974, and went on to win the Premier Division title in 1975–76 and 1977–78, as well as the Scottish Cup in 1976. He was loaned out to Hibernian, before joining American club Philadelphia Fury in 1978. He then spent three years with Leicester City, winning the Second Division title in 1979–80. He joined Chesterfield in 1981, before being traded to Port Vale in October 1983. However he was sacked the next year after failing to report for training, and later played for Spalding United.

Playing career

Henderson started his career with Jock Wallace's Rangers, scoring 13 goals in 33 appearances in the 1975–76 season after getting his first goal in a 2–1 defeat to Hearts at Ibrox. He was a member of the 1976 Scottish Cup winning first eleven, helping "Gers" beat Hearts 3–1 at Hampden Park in front of 85,354 spectators. Rangers also won the Premier Division title. However he scored only one goal in 12 games in 1976–77 as Rangers finished second in the league. He played just twice in the 1977–78 season, and was loaned out to Eddie Turnbull's Hibernian. He scored one goal in six Premier Division games for "Hibs" during his loan spell at Easter Road.

Henderson moved to the United States to play in the North American Soccer League for Philadelphia Fury in 1978. He scored three goals in 17 games at Veterans Stadium for Alan Ball's side. He then moved to England to play for Leicester City in the 1978–79 season, who were managed by his former boss Jock Wallace. He scored six league and cup goals for the "Foxes" in the 1979–80 season, as City won the Second Division title. He scored four goals in the 1980–81 campaign, as Leicester were relegated straight back out of the First Division. He scored 16 goals in 100 league and cup appearances in his three years at Filbert Street.

Henderson moved on to Frank Barlow's Chesterfield, who finished 11th in the Third Division in 1981–82 before dropping out of the division in last place in 1982–83. He scored 23 goals in 87 league games at Saltergate. He joined Port Vale in exchange for Bob Newton and £8,000 in October 1983.[2] He was partnered with Eamonn O'Keefe, and played scored seven goals in 28 games in the 1983–84 season.[2] The "Valiants" were relegated into the Fourth Division and manager John McGrath lost his job and was replaced by his assistant John Rudge.[2] Henderson failed to turn up for pre-season training at Vale Park for the next season and the club cancelled his contract.[2] He then moved on to non-league Spalding United.[2]

Statistics

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Philadelphia Fury1978NASL173––––173
Leicester City 1978–79 Second Division 3342200356
1979–80 Second Division 3652120406
1980–81 First Division 2231120244
Total 9112544010016
Chesterfield 1981–82 Third Division 441321104714
1982–83 Third Division 401010504610
1983–84 Fourth Division 30001040
Total 872331709724
Port Vale 1983–84 Third Division 2771000287

Honours

with Rangers
with Leicester City

References

  1. ↑ Sherwin, Phil (2010). The Port Vale Miscellany. Brimscombe Port: The History Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7524-5777-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 134. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  3. ↑ "Stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
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