Martin Foyle

Port Vale He signed for Port Vale on 25 June 1991 for a club record fee of £375,000. He was signed as a replacement for Darren Beckford and was convinced to sign for the club by manager John Rudge and chairman Bill Bell, who sufficiently impressed enough for him to reject the opportunity to speak to other clubs. Foyle had wanted to move north and was persuaded by Rudge's persisitence and the opportunity of playing in a strike partnership with Beckford, although Beckford was sold shortly after Foyle's arrival. Foyle's transfer fee of £375,000 was set by a tribunal after Oxford asked for £700,000, and Vale offered £200,000. Although he finished as leading scorer in the 1991–92 campaign with 16 goals, the club finished bottom of the Second Division that season and were relegated.

During the following season, Foyle was part of the team which won the Football League Trophy and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion before losing the play-off final against West Bromwich Albion. He played from the start of the Football League Trophy final win over Stockport County and provided an assist for Bernie Slaven's goal. He ended the season with 18 goals, Foyle was again the club's leading scorer as the club finally achieved promotion in 1994. One of his 20 goals in the 1994–95 season was the winner in Vale's 1–0 victory in the Potteries derby at the Victoria Ground in 1995, and later he was voted as the club's player of the year for 1995. He played in the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup final, scoring twice as Vale lost 5–2 to Genoa. He scored against Everton at Goodison Park in the FA Cup, which he later said was his most enjoyable goal; the match finished 2–2 and Vale went on to win the replay. Some of his important goals include a late equaliser in a League Cup tie at Liverpool in 1991, two at Brighton which sealed promotion in 1994, and one in a game at Huddersfield Town in 1998 which saved the club from relegation. In May 2019, he was voted into the "Ultimate Port Vale XI" by members of the OneValeFan supporter website. In December 2025, supporters voted him onto the all-time Port Vale XI on the club's official website.

Coaching and management career

Port Vale Persistent knee injuries forced him to retire from football at the age of 36 in 2000, Foyle took over first-team responsibilities at the club on 13 February 2004 after Brian Horton left by mutual consent, and the team narrowly missed out on a play-off place on goal difference at the end of the 2003–04 season. Following the end of the season, Foyle aimed to keep players at the club, but eventually lost top scorer Stephen McPhee and midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson. The club also had to make massive cut backs due to having just come out of administration and when Steve Brooker (a player signed by Horton on Foyle's recommendation) was sold to Bristol City any chance of a play-off push was unlikely. Vale eventually finished 17th in a frustrating season where many players suffered injuries leaving the squad threadbare on more than one occasion. The next two seasons saw an increase in the playing budget as Vale got their house in order after administration, and Foyle steered the side to 13th and 12th-place finishes in League One. He was nominated for the League One Manager of the Month award for February 2006. Two cup runs to the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2005–06 and fourth round of the League Cup in 2006–07, coupled with the selling of players such as Chris Birchall and Billy Paynter saw the club make a profit on the financial front. He also signed striker Akpo Sodje from Darlington, who would be sold to Sheffield Wednesday for a reported £300,000 a year later. New signing Marc Richards, who Foyle had been tracking for months, picked up an injury at the start of the season and was unable to contribute, though would justify Foyle's faith in him with 75 goals over the next five years.

Wrexham He revealed his interest in taking the vacant managerial position at Lincoln City in October, but he eventually joined Wrexham in January 2008 as first-team coach to manager Brian Little and signed a new two-year contract with the club in May. He and Brian Carey took over as joint-caretaker managers on 27 September 2008 after Little left the club during their first season in the Conference Premier, while Foyle was placed as the bookmaker's favourites to succeed Little. They were in control for the 1–1 draw against Torquay United. However, Foyle left the club after Dean Saunders was appointed as manager on 2 October 2008.

York City

Foyle was appointed as manager of Conference Premier side York City on 24 November 2008, following the club's sacking of Colin Walker. Foyle's first game in charge finished in a 1–1 draw at his home town club, Salisbury City, who were managed by his former Southampton teammate Nick Holmes. He said he was pleased with how the players reacted to his ideas following the match, although he branded some of the team as "weak-hearted" following a 2–1 defeat to Altrincham in December. He managed York to the 2009 FA Trophy final at Wembley Stadium on 9 May 2009, which was lost 2–0 to Stevenage Borough.

Foyle won the Conference Manager of the Month award for November after York won four league games and progressed to the FA Cup third round. After York finished the 2009–10 season in fifth place, he guided the team to the 2010 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley, where they were beaten 3–1 by Oxford. He resigned on 24 September with York 15th in the table, 10 games into the 2010–11 season. Following this, his assistant manager at York, Andy Porter, commented Foyle had been "sending his CV off everywhere" and was interviewed for the position of manager at League Two side Hereford United, being placed on a shortlist of seven. He was placed on a four-man shortlist for the Mansfield Town managerial vacancy in December.

Bristol Rovers Foyle was appointed first-team coach at League One club Bristol Rovers on 21 January 2011. However, he left the club on 7 March following the sacking of manager Dave Penney. After being interviewed twice for the managerial vacancy at Conference club Newport County in March he failed to make a shortlist of three for the job.

Northwich Victoria Foyle was appointed manager of Northern Premier League Premier Division side Northwich Victoria on a contract until the end of the 2011–12 season on 27 February 2012. His team finished as the division's runners-up, but were relegated after a hearing found that the club had broken financial rules. Foyle had played no part in the financial irregularities, as it was a matter relating to the club's creditors. He stepped down as manager to make way for Alan Wright on 9 May 2012.

Hereford United Foyle was appointed manager of newly relegated Conference club Hereford United on 30 May 2012. He appointed Andy Porter as his assistant. His first signings were defender Luke Graham and goalkeeper James Bittner on free transfers from Forest Green Rovers. Three further free transfers arrived in defenders Andy Gallinagh and Chris Carruthers, and attacker Marlon Jackson. He further added wingers Marley Watkins and Ryan Bowman to bring his squad to 18 players. More youngsters arrived in the form of loanee Tom Nichols and former Birmingham City youth team midfielder Ashley Sammons.

Going into the season, he further bolstered the squad's links to Forest Green by bringing in striker Phil Marsh and defender Chris Todd on loan. The "Bulls" began the season in impressive form defensively, but soon became afflicted with injuries to numerous members of the small squad. Financial problems became acute, as player's wage payments were missed. Despite this, Foyle masterminded a 3–1 FA Cup giant-killing over nearby League Two side Shrewsbury Town. Hereford finished in sixth place in the league, ten points outside the play-off places.

Hereford struggled in the 2013–14 season, and off the pitch faced a serious financial crisis, which meant that Foyle admitted the entire playing staff would have to leave the club in the summer of 2014. Despite this, he won the Conference Manager of the Month award for January 2014 after Hereford went four games unbeaten amidst their growing financial crisis. Foyle parted company with Hereford on 19 March 2014, with the club in 18th place, four points above the relegation zone.

Following continuing non-payment of money owed to him by the club, Foyle issued a winding-up petition against Hereford United Football Club (1939) Ltd.

Southport He returned to management by joining Conference Premier side Southport on 4 May 2014, following the departure of John Coleman. Two months later he began coaching the under-15 side at the Port Vale Academy. With Southport sitting in the Conference Premier relegation zone following a 5–2 defeat to Woking at Haig Avenue, he left the club by mutual consent on 5 October 2014.

Head of Recruitment Foyle was named as Head of Recruitment at Northampton Town in February 2015. He went on to work as chief scout at Scottish Premiership club Motherwell the following year. Speaking in September 2019, "Well" scout Martyn Corrigan credited Foyle with bringing a high calibre of players to Fir Park, calling him a "workaholic" with an encyclopedic knowledge of the English football's lower leagues. He returned to Northampton Town in his former role as Head of Recruitment in May 2021. He left Northampton Town in November 2021 to become Morecambe's Head of Recruitment. He left the role six months later. He joined Scottish Premiership side St Mirren as Head of Recruitment in June 2022. He spent three years at the club, before moving south to work the same role at Carlisle United. Head of Football Operations Marc Tierney remarked that "his extensive experience, deep knowledge of the game and clear understanding of what our club needs made him the ideal choice for this pivotal role". Carlisle released a statement in May 2026 to say that he would remain at the club despite speculation linking Foyle with a return to his former club Port Vale. However, he was announced as Port Vale's new chief scout the following month.

Personal life Foyle married Jacqueline Churchill in Salisbury in 1985.

Career statistics

Playing statistics

A. The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs, Full Members Cup, and Anglo-Italian Cup. B. Statistics for IFK Munkfors not included.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Port Vale Football League Trophy: 1992–93

Individual Aldershot Town F.C. Player of the Season: 1984–85 Conference Premier Manager of the Month: January 2014 Port Vale F.C. Hall of Fame: inducted 2026 (inaugural)