Martin John Bullock (born 5 March 1975) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is a Football Development Officer at

Northern Football Federation The Northern Football Federation (NFF) was an association football organisation, responsible for local growth and developing the game in West Auckland, North Shore and Northland, New Zealand. In 2020 it was merged with Auckland Football Federa ...

. He previously played for five league teams over fifteen years, making 452 league appearances. He also won a cap for the England under-21 side in 1996. He began his career at non-League

Eastwood Town Eastwood Town Football Club was an English football club based in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. The club last participated in the Northern Premier League Division One South, the eighth tier of English football. A new club, Eastwood C.F.C., was f ...

, before earning a move to

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...

in 1993. In an eight-year association with the club he played almost 200 league games for the club, helping them to the Premier League at the end of the 1996–97 season. Loaned out to Port Vale in 2000, the following year he transferred to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

. He enjoyed a highly successful four years with the club, lifting the Football League Trophy in

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. He then played for Macclesfield Town between 2005 and 2007, before ending his professional career with Wycombe Wanderers in 2008. He later turned out for leading New Zealand side Waitakere United, helping them to three Premiership titles, before his retirement in June 2012.

Club career

Bullock began his career with Northern Premier League First Division side

. He turned professional after a £15,000 move to

in 1993. He remained at

Oakwell Oakwell is a multi-purpose sports development in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England used primarily by Barnsley Football Club for playing their home fixtures, and those of their reserves. While the name 'Oakwell' generally refers to the main s ...

for eight years, making 218 appearances in all competitions for the "Tykes". He played 28 league games, mostly as a substitute, in the club's historic 1996–97 campaign, which saw them finish second in the First Division. In the subsequent 1997–98 Premier League season he played 33 top-flight games. Barnsley were relegated, though Bullock remained a key part of their 1998–99 campaign. He found himself out of favour in 1999–2000 however, making just six starts, five of which were in the League Cup. He was utilised more frequently in 2000–01, after spending February 2000 on loan at Second Division Port Vale, for whom he scored once against Queens Park Rangers. In September 2001 he joined Steve McMahon's Second Division newcomers

on a free transfer. He became a key player for the club, making 43 league appearances in his maiden season there. His contribution was particularly telling in the semi-final of the Football League Trophy, as he scored the golden goal winner against Huddersfield Town that ensured the club a date at the

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...

. He went on to play the full ninety minutes of the club's triumph over Cambridge United in the final. He enjoyed a similarly successful campaign in 2002–03, and was offered a two-year contract extension in March 2003. He was later named in the PFA Second Division Team of the Year for his performances throughout the season. The 2003–04 campaign was also memorable for Bullock, as he helped Blackpool to lift the League Trophy for the second time in three seasons, following victory over Southend United. He made a further 28 league appearances for the club in 2004–05, but was told by new boss Colin Hendry he would not be offered a new contract. He signed for Brian Horton's Macclesfield Town in June 2005. In his first season with the club he made 40 appearances in League Two. He made a further 43 appearances in his second season at Moss Rose. In May 2007 he switched clubs to Wycombe Wanderers, penning a two-year deal. He made 27 appearances in all competitions for the club in 2007–08, before he announced his retirement from the professional game in May 2008. In 2009, he made a late move to New Zealand to play for Waitakere United. Following a second-place finish in 2009–10, Waitakere went on to reach the final of the OFC Champions League, and Bullock played both games of the 4–2

aggregate Aggregate or aggregates may refer to: Computing and mathematics * collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...

defeat to Papua New Guinea side

Hekari United Hekari United, formerly known as POM Souths, Souths United, PRK Souths United and Hekari Souths United, is a professional football club formed in 2006, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The club holds the record for most titles in the Pa ...

. Waitakere went on to win the championship in

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

after defeating rivals

Auckland City Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...

. They retained their title in 2011–12 with a 4–1 win over Team Wellington. He retired at the age of 37 in June 2012.

International career

Whilst with Barnsley, Bullock won a cap for the England under-21 side in 1996.

Personal life

Bullock is married to Michelle Bullock with two children Lillie and Maggie and is focusing on earning his

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

ing badges to coach professionally.

Career statistics

Honours

Individual * Football League Second Division Team of the Year: 2002–03 Barnsley *

Football League First Division The Football League First Division was a division of the Football League in England from 1888 until 2004. It was the top division in the English football league system from the season 1888–89 until 1991–92, a century in which the First ...

second-place promotion: 1996–97 Blackpool * Football League Trophy:

Waitakere United *

New Zealand Football Championship The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...

& 2011–12 * OFC Champions League runner-up:

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullock, Martin 1975 births Living people Footballers from Derby English men's footballers England men's under-21 international footballers Men's association football midfielders Eastwood Town F.C. players Barnsley F.C. players Port Vale F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Macclesfield Town F.C. players Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand Waitakere United players Premier League players English Football League players Northern Premier League players