02/10/2024 11comments  |  Jump to last

Everton's beloved former kitman, Jimmy Martin, will be back at Goodison Park this weekend when he completes a 32-mile walk from Deepdale in Preston in aid of the charity that has helped him recover from the heart attack he suffered last year.

The Club's legendary kitman announced his retirement last August at the age of 74, a decision most fans, no doubt, assumed was simply because he felt the time had come after over 40 years of service to Everton. But, as he reveals to the Liverpool Echo, it was at the request of his wife following the second cardiac episode he suffered in 15 years.

He explains how much of a wrench it was to give up the job of kit manager he had held since the days of Howard Kendall's second spell as manager but, with the support of Heartbeat, the North West’s leading cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation charity, he is back to his old self.

“I didn't want to walk away from this place”, he said of Finch Farm and Everton. “My wife told me. She said, 'This is your second heart attack, you're 74 years old, you have done enough for the club. Let’s enjoy the rest of our lives.' And I did. And I found it really hard at first, I mean really hard.

Article continues below video content


“To go somewhere strange is a bit hard," Jimmy continued, speaking of the fitness classes and gym visits he undertook with Heartbeat. "It was hard at first and I thought, 'Will I enjoy this or not?'

"But the more I got into it, the more I got around the table with the lads and got to know all the names, it just began to fall into place. It was like a little jigsaw… It has been 12 months now since I had the heart attack and I'm just a different fella now.

"I’m back to normal again. I never thought I would get back to normal. The people I have had around me at Heartbeat have been brilliant — everything about it is just so good.”

Now, Jimmy wants to give back by raising money for Heartbeat with his sponsored walk from Preston, home to the organisation’s bespoke cardiac centre, to Goodison where hopes to arrive before the Blues' match against Newcastle United on Saturday.

"[Y]ou never know. You could be in the same position as I am," he said of his reasoning for doing the charity walk. "I'm just lucky to have survived it. A lot of people don't. And I'm just so happy the way I've done it and gone through the rehab. I'm so happy being at Heartbeat.”

To find out more about Jimmy's walk, Heartbeat — as he explains, the organisation "is facing financial struggles and really needs to raise £100,000 to get out of their deficit and continue supporting people like me" — and to donate in support, visit the associated JustGiving page

 

Reader Comments (11)

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Jeff Spiers
1 Posted 02/10/2024 at 18:53:44
Cracking post, Jimmy.

I bet you could write a book on your days at Goodison!! Take care, mate!

Jerome Shields
2 Posted 02/10/2024 at 19:23:46
Good Luck to Jimmy. I am sure others at Heartbeat really appreciate his presence and contribution.

He did the right thing following his wife's advice, though difficult. Glad Heartbeat provided much-needed help.

Derek Knox
3 Posted 02/10/2024 at 21:25:52
Yes, good luck Jimmy, and thanks for your service at Goodison under many different managers.

Not pouring oil on the water, or fuelling the fire, but I worked with Jimmy's relation over 30-odd years ago, and I recall Wes telling me that Jimmy was an RS at heart. Hopefully he got treatment for that too!

Christy Ring
4 Posted 02/10/2024 at 22:07:58
Jimmy always remembered as a true blue 💙
Danny O'Neill
6 Posted 03/10/2024 at 00:29:17
Watch this but get the tissues out.

The Big Interview: long-serving kit man Jimmy Martin on his Everton journey!

A fine gentleman, with some fascinating insights.

I'm sure he will get a rousing reception at Goodison.

Ian Jones
7 Posted 03/10/2024 at 07:25:03
Danny, enjoyed seeing the video from your link. Also, the one on the Justgiving page. I imagine Jimmy has a few tales he could tell although if he were to tell the whole unabridged version, he might be sued!

It's the people like Jimmy in the background who are the backbone of the club. Without people like them, clubs fall apart – in my opinion, they are the true custodians of Everton Football Club.

Sean Kearns
8 Posted 03/10/2024 at 16:06:01
Jimmy lad, you lived every Evertonians dream and you are more of a legend to the club than our all-time Premier League goal scorer!… <>Some of his interviews are hilarious –he would make the lads put their jackets and bibs into the correct bins instead of just throwing them around like modern day (entitled?) athletes…

A good scouse lad who really loves the blues 💙 Love you, Jimmy la… they've got to get him in to do the kits for just the first game at the new ground.

Jimmy's got to hang the kits for the first time at BMD… he told Samuel Eto'o off for leaving stuff in the showers 🤣 Beaut!

Jay Evans
9 Posted 03/10/2024 at 19:35:14
A legend in every sense of the word.

Drove the coach for the first team before Howard realised he would be better utilised in the dressing room. His Missus used to do the stadium tours and she was a character as well.

Jay Harris
10 Posted 04/10/2024 at 17:19:07
Good luck and good health Jimmy.

Once a blue always a blue.

Paul Ferry
11 Posted 05/10/2024 at 03:23:51
Sean 8 - I think I'm right in saying that Jimmy Martin is not a "good scouse lad". I believe that he was born, grew up, and lives in one of those satellite rugby league dumps - Wigan sounds right.

A wonderful human being. I don't think that I have ever heard a bad word about him. Quite the contrary. I remember him putting that knobhead Eto'o in his place. (Dear Sheeds, the embarrassment, the cringing: "We got Eto'o and you got Lambert"!)

Happy, long, and healthy retirement Jimmy.

Martin Berry
12 Posted 08/10/2024 at 17:42:49
Jimmy deserves his own deckchair overlooking the Mersey at the new stadium.

Enjoy retirement.


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