Martin Sinclair (footballer)
Martin Sinclair (born 27 June 1986) is an English footballer who plays for the England CP team, as well as being a SaintsAbility development officer for Saints Foundation. Sinclair's catchphrase is, "It's about showcasing players ability, rather than their disability".
Early life[edit]
Martin Sinclair was born on 27 June 1986 in Bath, England.[1] He is the brother of Bristol Rovers footballer Scott Sinclair, who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Jake Sinclair, a member of the Southampton F.C. Academy, who also played on loan at Hibernian.[2]
Sinclair was born with cerebral palsy but still had ambitions of playing football.[2] As a teenager he fell off a slide, resulting in the ball and socket coming out of his hip; the injury was initially diagnosed as a damaged ligament, but when he went to hospital for an operation on his hand an x-ray revealed the real injury. He used a wheelchair for three years and had a hip replacement at the age of 21.[2]
Career[edit]
Whilst his brother Scott was playing for Plymouth Argyle, Sinclair was introduced to manager Ian Holloway who offered him a role coaching in the football in the community programme. It was during this that he found out about Plymouth's disabled side.[2][3] He competes in 7-a-side matches for players with cerebral palsy.[2] He was part of the Great Britain teams that won a bronze medal at the 2010 Paralympic World Cup and a silver medal at the 2012 event.[1]
In 2012, Sinclair was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Paralympics as part of a twelve-player squad for the 7-a-side football event.[4][5] Great Britain faced Brazil, the United States and Ukraine in the preliminary stage of the competition, with all matches being held at the Riverbank Arena.[6] Sinclair and Scott became the first brothers to represent Great Britain at a Paralympic and Olympic Games in the same year, as Scott appeared for the Great Britain Olympic football team who reached the quarterfinals at the 2012 Summer Olympics .[2][7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Martin Sinclair". British Paralympic Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Hardy, Martin (19 July 2012). "Scott & Martin Sinclair: Brothers in arms – a tale of courage". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ Davies, Gareth A. (25 May 2010). "Chelsea's Scott Sinclair supporting brother Martin's London 2012 Paralympic ambition". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ "ParalympicsGB: Who will compete for Great Britain in London?". BBC Sport. 12 August 2012. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ "Great Britain Announces Paralympic Football Teams". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ "Football 7-a-side - Schedule & Results". The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ Taylor, Louise (18 July 2012). "London 2012: Scott and Martin Sinclair are Team GB's special pair". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2012.