Shoe Shines with 300 League Starts
Club captain Martin Gunn became
the first player in the Club's history to make 300 league starts on Saturday
the 7th of August in Academy's home game against Strathspey Thistle. Martin has
also featured 22 times for the Scorries in the league coming on as a substitute
His appearance record in Cup competitions is also impressive, featuring in a
total of 70 Cup ties for Academy. Martin is now in his 16th season with Academy
and celebrated his testimonial season in 2006/07.
Messrs MacDonald and Miller took
joint charge of the Academy team for their first Highland League season in
1994/95 and invited Martin along to training. He made his debut in the League
Cup tie at home to Fort William on August 20 though the team lost 4-1.
His league debut the following
Saturday at Peterhead was a 4-0 defeat but there were promising signs as
Academy came within inches of an equaliser in the 75th minute before tiring
late on. A week later Martin was wearing the number 8 shirt as Alan Murray
scored to earn a 1-1 draw with Rothes and the club's first ever Highland League
point.
Martin scored his first Academy
goal on December 10, 1995 at Buckie, and since then he has hit the net 75 times
in league and cup ties. hopefully there are a few more goals in him yet before
he hangs up his boots.
Wick Academy co-manager Richard
Hughes was delighted that Martin had reached this milestone in his playing career
and said "Martin has been a fine player and a great servant to the club.
The players and coaches are all pleased for him to reach this milestone of 300
games. Having been captain for a lot of years Shoe really deserves for us to
win something this season".
(Martin is pictured in action in his 300th league start v Strathspey Thistle on the 7th August 2010)
