Non-League and Academy football writer

Martyn Fowler played football for Stonewall FC from 2011 (Martyn’s debut for the first team was against Kilburn FC, in 2011) until 2025. Martyn played mainly for the Stonewall first team, although in recent years he has played for the development/reserve side. A real stalwart of the club, who has given such good service to the club, Martyn really enjoyed his time playing for them in the Middlesex County Football League. I recently interviewed Martyn, about some of his memories of playing for Stonewall over the years, after he recently retired from playing Saturday football, at the end of the 2024/25 season. 

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football, prior to joining Stonewall?

Martyn: I started playing football at school. I started off in the B team at school,  and then in about year 10, I managed to get in to the A team, which was when I met all of the guys who played for the local football teams. I grew up in Haywards Heath, and I started playing properly for a local club called Franklands Village, in the Sussex County League, whose youth team I played for.

From Franklands Village I then went on to Haywards Heath, who were also in the Sussex County League. I played for Haywards Heath from around the age of 17/18, through to my early 20s. Haywards Heath were quite an ambitious club, and they used to pay the players who played for the team, which disenchanted quite a lot of the local lads, who ended up going to local teams, like Hassocks and Franklands Village. At one point I was actually the only player who was living in Haywards Heath, who was playing for them.

After a new manager had joined the club one summer, he didn’t even consider me for pre-season training, let alone friendlies. So I decided to drop down a few levels and play for Franklands Village, and by this point a number of old friends were also playing for them, making it more of a mates team, again. So, we were playing in Mid Sussex Division 2, and we went on to finish second that season, winning promotion in the process. Then in a couple of years time we were playing in the Mid Sussex Premier Division.

When I was 25/26, I decided to go travelling for a year, and so I took a year out of football, although I still managed to play quite a bit of football. Because I was in Vancouver for six months, and I played over there for an expats team, which had a couple of ex-Aberdeen youth team players playing for them, and we actually won that summer league. After I had returned to England, it was not long after that when I joined Stonewall, when I was 27/28. One of my best friends was playing for Stonewall at the time.

My friend who was playing for Stonewall knew that I was in between teams at the time, and he invited me to the club. One of my first ever games for Stonewall was for the Sunday team, and after that I was invited down to training, before then getting involved with the first team, and I played for the first team and latterly the second team, right through until now. 

What are some of your many standout memories of being associated with Stonewall as a player, in the Middlesex County Football League?

Martyn: That first season that I spent with Stonewall really stands out. I was actually a right-back up until then but, Eric Najib (Stonewall’s first team manager) thought that I would be better off playing in midfield, and so I then started playing in central midfield. I think that I actually improved quite significantly as a player, by moving to central midfield. So, I thought that I was actually improving, because I was playing in a role that actually suited my football better, and it was a sort of turning point for me.

The games that really standout to me, were probably the games against Clapton Community. Because it’s so unusual at this level to play in front of a crowd, and I can remember when we first played them down at Barn Elms, and they brought a couple of hundred fans with them, which was amazing. We actually won that game against them, as we were more clinical against them on the day. Another game against Clapton Community, was a cup game, which we unfortunately lost. We had a great chance to win that game right at the end, and unfortunately we lost on penalties. I really enjoyed our games with Clapton Community.

The lead up to our promotion to the Middlesex Premier Division was also a great memory. The first half of the season was really poor, but in the second half of the season we went on a really good run, and in the penultimate game of the season we had to win against Wilberforce Wanderers. I started that game at right-back, and then Eric moved me back in to midfield, and we won that game 3-2. That was a really enjoyable season for me, and one that really stands out for me.

It was an overwhelmingly positive experience playing for Stonewall, both playing for Eric in the first team, and then for Alex Harris in the second team.

In your opinion, who was the toughest/most difficult side (for their quality) that you faced during your time with Stonewall?

Martyn: Clapton Community were always a good side. I can remember when I was playing for the second team, and it was at Paddington Recreation Ground. I think that it was Soccer Stars Fennecs who we played, and although we didn’t play badly, whatever we did, we just didn’t have an answer for them. We were being outplayed and whatever we tried they had an answer for. There were passing around us, so we tightened up in midfield. Then they countered that by playing very accurate long balls. So, we just couldn’t respond to how they played, and although they beat us comfortably, we didn’t play badly, at all. But, the other team were just too good.

I also remember a couple of teams that I played against for Haywards Heath, that were a couple of steps above us at the time. We played against Worthing Town in the FA Vase, also Crawley Town shared our pitch for a while, so we played a couple of training matches against them.

Who would you say was the best player that you played with and against, during your time as a player?

Martyn: I think that I’d have to mention a couple of players, for the different eras that I was at the club. For his sheer consistency, I’d have to say that Douglas Edward was one of the best. In terms of ability, Nasar Nakhli was very talented. But, in the recent era I would have to mention Mike Sholly, who as a midfielder, controls the game really well, and he has an excellent passing range. I can remember playing for Stonewall in a tournament, and we came against a player who had been on the books at Crystal Palace. He was just unplayable, and he ran rings around us in the final of that tournament.

I can also remember playing in a charity match, as I used to know Gerry Ryan personally, who used to play for Brighton, and who also used to play for Ireland. So as a local lad, I played in this charity game for Gerry’s 50th, and so there was a lot of former Liverpool and Ireland footballers, whose class was on another level. Liverpool legend Jimmy Case, also played in that charity match.

For those who didn’t see you play, could you describe to me what type of player you are?

Martyn: I can play anywhere across the defence. But, my best position is at CDM. I’m a very organised player, who communicates well and I also do the basics well, as well as reading the game well. I’m the sort of player who does all the ugly stuff on the pitch well, and who gives the flair players a chance to do the business at the other end of the pitch.

How do you reflect on your many years spent playing for Stonewall FC?

Martyn: It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. It’s been a big part of my life playing for the club, and it’s helped me to keep fit still, as a 42 year old. When I first joined the club it was a bit of a rough time for me, as shortly after that my stepfather died. And so playing football for Stonewall every week, was a really welcome distraction.

I’ve played for quite a few football teams, and Stonewall was always very welcoming, right from the very start. There was never any egos or any cliques, it was just a group of guys who were playing football at a similar level to what I’d played at in the Sussex League. I did actually consider retiring from playing Saturday football a couple of years ago. But, that was when Stonewall started playing at the London Marathon Track, so I thought that I’ve got to play a bit longer, to be involved on this part of the club’s journey. And, playing for the second team has been some of my most enjoyable years at the club. Stonewall’s second team have really improved during the last couple of seasons and cemented themselves as a competitive team in Division One.

Stonewall has been good to me. They have always been flexible with my work commitments and every manager has understood my commitment to Stonewall in return, and what I offer to the team. So I have never felt that I have needed to keep proving myself. I’ve been loyal to Stonewall and I’ve been very proud to represent the club and everything that they stand for. I very much feel part of the Stonewall family and I was quite emotional playing my last game as a regular squad member.