Martin, who was born in Sidmouth, had attended Warwick University and was in his late twenties when he started to cover Exeter City for the Express and Echo. In post for the run to the sixth-round of the FA Cup, together with a strong showing in the third tier under Brian Godfrey, he saw the best of City during his two or so years in the job. He then joined BBC Radio Devon ahead of stints with the BBC TV and ITV stations in Plymouth before working for Sky Sports as a regional correspondent at the end of his career.

Always a resident of Sidmouth, he played cricket and football in the town and died there aged sixty-two in 2013.