Oral History Interview: Stephen (Sam) Martin

Partial Transcript: MARTIN: My name's Stephen Martin, erm, 13th 4.59. I represented Ireland and Great Britain, erm, and a total of 229 caps, both indoor and outdoor during that period, from about 1980 to 1992.

Segment Synopsis: Martin introduces himself stating his date of birth and the countries he represented internationally.

Keywords: Date of birth; Great Britain; International caps; Ireland

Subjects: Indoor Hockey; Teams--Men--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Tell me how you started in hockey.

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls how he started playing hockey at school following a severe illness and how he bypassed territorial hockey and went straight into the Ireland team aged 19.

Keywords: David Feherty; Dublin--Republic of Ireland; European Junior Nations Championships/EuroHockey Junior Nations Championships; Football (Soccer); Golf; Grammar School; Illness; Ireland; Northern Ireland; Rugby; Ryder Cup; School; Silver Medal; Trials; Ulster

Subjects: Fitness Injury; Politics; Recreation; Teams--Boys--School; Teams--Boys--Territory; Tournaments--International; Tournaments--Junior

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So who else did you play with in your, erm, Irish team?

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls his Irish teammates and reminisces about the EuroHockey Junior Nations Championship in Dublin in 1978.

Keywords: Billy McConnell/William McConnell; Colin Allister; Dublin--Republic of Ireland; European Junior Nations Championships/EuroHockey Junior Nations Championships; Final; Germany; Gold Medal; Grass; Great Britain; International Caps; Ireland; Jack Lynch; Jimmy Kirkwood; Mark Burns; Marty Sloan/Martin Sloan; Norman McGladdery; Olympic Games; President; Seoul--South Korea; Stefan Blocher; Taoiseach; Trinity College; West Germany

Subjects: Playing Surfaces; Recollection of Others--Celebrity; Recollection of Others--Player; Reunion; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Tournaments--Junior

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So how did you get into the GB squad then?

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls how he broke into the Great Britain team and his debut against the USA at Bisham Abbey.

Keywords: Amsterdam--Netherlands; Bisham Abbey; Debut; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Great Britain; Mark Precious; Netherlands; Richard Dodds; Roger Self; Sean Kerly; Ulster; United States of America (USA)

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues Stadia; Recollection of Others--Coach Manager; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--International; Teams--Men--Territory; Tournaments--International; Training Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: MARTIN: That was 1983 stroke 4, I'd say and around that time we had heard that, erm, there may be an op-- a possibility that Soviet Union might pull out of the Games in Los Angeles.

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls the preparation and training regimes undertaken by the Great Britain squad in the build up to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.

Keywords: Alcohol; Belfast--United Kingdom (UK); Billy McConnell/William McConnell; Bisham Abbey; Great Britain; Heathrow Airport; Ian Taylor; Imran Sherwani; Kulbir Bhaura; Lilleshall Hall National Sports Centre; Los Angeles--United States of America (USA); Northern Ireland; Olympics/Olympic Games; Paul Barber; Scotland; Soviet Union (USSR); Ulster University; Veryan Pappin

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues Stadia; Olympic Games--1984 Los Angeles; Politics; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: MARTIN: So we went to the Games in, in LA really, er, nobody really gave us much of a chance to, on a medal front but we thought that, erm, with England's ranking, maybe seven in the world at that time, and of course the few celts, we might be able to up that.

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls his experiences of representing Great Britain at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games where they won bronze. He recalls specific matches, from pool games to the bronze medal match against Australia, and discusses how LA was a springboard for the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Martin also recounts anecdotes from the social scene during the Games and the reception the squad received upon returning home.

Keywords: "the team that put the Great back into Britain"; Alcohol; Australia; Bronze Medal; Chris Moore; Football (Soccer); Great Britain; Ian Taylor; Los Angeles--United States of America (USA); Netherlands; Olympics/Olympic Games; Pakistan; Patrick Rowley; Paul Barber; Penalty Stroke; Princess Anne; Roger Self; Rugby; West Germany

Subjects: Media; Olympic Games--1984 Los Angeles; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Recollection of Others--Celebrity; Recollection of Others--Coach Manager; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recollection of Others--Player; Social Friendships; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What about the lead up to the Seoul Games?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses the build upon to the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games touching on the London 1986 World Cup in London where England reached the Final and his experiences of the Games themselves.

Keywords: Australia; Barry Davies; Champions Trophy; England; Final; Germany; Gold Medal; Great Britain; Hat Trick; Injury; London--United Kingdom (UK); Olympics/Olympic Games; Penalty Corner; Sean Kerly; Seoul--South Korea; Stefan Blocher

Subjects: Coaching Management--International; Fitness Injury; Media; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training Conditioning--International; World Cup--Men--1986 London

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Yes, you were able to keep the, the core of those players together right the way through, weren't you?

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls how the support staff expanded between the Los Angeles and Seoul Olympic Games and discusses the benefits of that.

Keywords: Discipline; Great Britain; Olympics/Olympic Games; Physiotherapy; Psychology; Seoul--South Korea; Sin Bin; Substitute; Support Staff

Subjects: Coaching Management--International; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Politics; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Sean Kerly came back - the 'Golden Boy' - because of all the goals. Er, did that rankle with any of the team at all?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses Sean Kerly's recall to the Great Britain team for the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games: what he brought to the team, the need for an iconic figure in hockey and the pressures of celebrity.

Keywords: Football (Soccer); Great Britain; Imran Sherwani; Olympics/Olympic Games; Role Model; Sean Kerly; Seoul--South Korea

Subjects: Fame Celebrity; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: The camaraderie you built up over that extended period given that the fourteen and the sixteen of you had been together for o--through two Olympic cycles, er, did that carry on afterwards?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses the friendships that were forged over what became, for him, a three tournament Olympic cycle and recounts a recent Great Britain reunion ion Belfast.

Keywords: Barcelona--Spain; Belfast--United Kingdom (UK); Fundraising; Golf; Great Britain; Jimmy Duthie/James Duthie; Jon Potter/Jonathan Potter; Los Angeles--United States of America (USA); Mark Precious; Northern Ireland; Olympics/Olympic Games; Robert Clift; Russell Garcia; Sean Kerly; Stephen Batchelor; Ulster

Subjects: Olympic Games--1984 Los Angeles; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Player; Recreation; Reunion; Social Friendships; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And when you were rooming did you have to room together? Did you have a particular roommate that you always roomed with?

Segment Synopsis: Martin recalls his 'rooming' arrangements whilst on international duty. In one instance, he recounts the positive impact he was able to have on Don Williams when they shared accommodation during the younger player's debut Olympics.

Keywords: "Rooming"; Accommodation; Barcelona--Spain; Debut; Don Williams; Great Britain; Mentoring; Olympics/Olympic Games; Richard Leman

Subjects: Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Player; Social Friendships; Teams--Men--International; Training Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And after '92? What happened then?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses his retirement from international hockey and his move into administration with the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the British Olympic Association. He elaborates on his involvement with the successful bid to host the London 2012 Olympic Games and reflects on Irish and British successes.

Keywords: Barbara Cassani; Belfast--Northern Ireland; British Olympic Association (BOA); Chairperson; Chief Executive Officer (CEO); David Luckes; English Sports Council; Goalkeeper; Ireland; London--United Kingdom (UK); Medal; Olympic Bid; Olympic Council Ireland; Olympic Park; Olympics/Olympic Games; Simon Clegg; Sports Council for Northern Ireland

Subjects: Administration Finances--National; Associations--National; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement; Olympic Games--1988 Seoul; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Olympic Games--2012 London; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So what's next for you?

Segment Synopsis: Martin gives his impression of the work of The Hockey Museum and looks ahead to the Irish participation at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Keywords: England; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Golf; Graeme McDowell; Great Britain; Ireland; London--United Kingdom (UK); Olympics/Olympic Games; Paul McGinley; Photography; Rio de Janeiro--Brazil; Rory McIlroy; Rugby; Shane Lowry; The Hockey Museum

Subjects: History Heritage; Olympic Games--1908 London; Olympic Games--2016 Rio de Janeiro; Recreation; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International