Martin Burleigh

Martin Stewart Burleigh (born 2 February 1951) is an English former professional footballer who made 222 appearances in the Football League playing as a goalkeeper for Newcastle United, Darlington, Carlisle United and Hartlepool United.

Club career

Burleigh was born in Willington, County Durham, and played for the local club, Willington A.F.C., before turning professional with Newcastle United in 1968. He made his first-team debut on 26 December 1970, in a 3–0 defeat away to Leeds United in the First Division. An injury to undisputed first-choice goalkeeper Iam McFaul in February 1975 allowed Burleigh a run of games in the first team, but the run ended when he broke a finger, and he played only twice more. In six years with the club he made just 14 first-team appearances in all competitions.

He spent the 1974–75 season with Fourth Division club Darlington, before moving on to Carlisle United, newly relegated to the Second Division, in 1975. Although a transfer request was accepted in November that same year, Burleigh remained with Carlisle until 1977. He then returned to Darlington for a further two-year spell, in the first of which he was the club's player of the season. He finished his professional career with three seasons at Fourth Division Hartlepool United, for whom he made 96 appearances in all competitions, before moving into non-league football with Bishop Auckland in 1982.

He went on to work as a painter and decorator in Ferryhill, County Durham.