Martin Lane (born 12 April 1961) is an English former footballer who played mainly as a full-back. Born in Altrincham, he made appearances in The Football League for four clubs, with most of his career being spent with Chester City.

Playing career

Lane joined

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as a youngster in 1977 and spent five years at

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without making a competitive first-team appearance. He joined Chester City in August 1982, making his debut in a Football League Trophy tie away at Chesterfield during the same month.Sumner (1997), stats section He quickly became a regular in the side and even had a successful game as a makeshift centre-forward in Chester's 4–2 win at Tranmere Rovers in December 1982, scoring twice. Despite remaining a regular player, Lane had to wait until April 1986 for his next Chester goal, scoring direct from a corner kick in a 2–1 win over Exeter City to help the club move to the brink of promotion. During the same season, Lane was part of a defence that helped Chester go 423 minutes without conceding a goal. After helping Chester to a 2–1 win over Wrexham in the FA Cup third round in January 1987, Lane moved to Division One side Coventry City for £25,000. After making just three league appearances in two years at Highfield Road and spending time on loan with Wrexham, Lane returned to Chester for the same amount he had been sold for in January 1989. His arrival was quickly followed by a run of four successive wins without conceding a goal, as Chester came close to qualifying for the Division Three play-offs. Lane remained a regular until the end of the 1990–91 season, playing his final game in a 1–0 defeat at

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on 11 May 1991. Lane made just 10 appearances in a season with Walsall and then dropped into non-league football, having spells with clubs including Shepshed Albion, Worcester City and Hinckley Town, while working for a security company.''Player Memories'', Chester City v. Hull City matchday programme; 4/12/1993; p 24

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Martin 1961 births Living people Sportspeople from Altrincham English men's footballers Men's association football fullbacks English Football League players Manchester United F.C. players Chester City F.C. players Coventry City F.C. players Wrexham A.F.C. players Walsall F.C. players Shepshed Dynamo F.C. players Worcester City F.C. players Hinckley Town F.C. players Footballers from Greater Manchester