The Big Match
Martyn Booty
October 30th 1991 Coventry City v Arsenal &
November 2nd 1991 Coventry City v Chelsea
Making your debut in senior football is always a thrill for any player, making your first two appearances against Arsenal and Chelsea, in the League Cup and Top Division respectively, must have been a great privilege for our Club Captain, Martyn Booty.
Martyn joined Coventry City as a youngster and came through the ranks making his first senior appearance in the Rumbelows Cup, a 1-0 home victory (Kevin Gallacher scored) over Arsenal in October 1991, The Gunners included four of their legendary defence, David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Tony Adams and Nigel Winterburn, plus Ian Wright and Paul Merson whilst ex Spireite and Coventry legend Steve Ogrizovic played behind Boots in the home goal.
"Oggy was a great character and a great keeper, he just kept on going for ever" says Martyn, who was 20 years old at the time and in the team for Brian Borrows.
Just three days later, Boots made his first ever appearance in the World's oldest League Competition and London again supplied the visitors to Highfield Road for that game, Chelsea. Again at right back, Martyn came into direct contact with Graeme Le Saux, who scored the game's only goal, though our man categorically states, "Le Saux, I remember, I played right back and he was on the left, I know he scored, but it wasn't my fault!" Martyn adds, "It was great to play against the likes of Denis Wise, Graham Stuart and Kerry Dixon, Coventry were going well at the start of that season so I stepped into a confident side but my league debut ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat, especially after the great win over Arsenal".
Manager of the Sky Blues at that time was the former England Captain Fantastic Terry Butcher, his ex player remembers him as a man very passionate about his football, "My Manager was Terry Butcher, I have great respect for him, he gave me my league debut, but he was the sort of manager who'd take his frustration out by kicking a door down!"
Martyn had one more (sub) appearance that season, coming on in a 2-0 win over Southampton, but he winces when he remembers, "Not long after my debut I got a nasty knee injury that kept me out for a year, so I only had a few more games for Coventry before joining Crewe Alexandra".
Arsenal team: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Davis, Pates (Linighan), Adams, Rocastle, Wright, Smith, Merson, Limpar (Groves).
Chelsea team: Beasant, Clarke, Boyd, Jones, Elliott, Cundy, Le Saux, Matthew, Dixon, Wilson, Wise
Coventry (Both Matches): Ogrizovic, Booty, Hurst, Robson, Pearce, Billing, Woods, McGrath, Furlong, Gallacher, Smith. Against Chelsea, Ndlovu came on as sub for Woods.
Martyn's League career has seen him play 5 times for Coventry City, 96 League appearances (5 goals) for Crewe Alexandra, then came Reading (64 games, 1 goal), 80 League games for Southend, without scoring, before joining Chesterfield in the summer of last year. Last season he appeared in 40 of our 46 games in Division Two scoring against Notts County and Huddersfield Town.
