Crisis club Southend United sign former Premier League star as emergency free transfer minutes before handing him debut
SOUTHEND UNITED'S desperate situation plunged new depths on Tuesday evening as they signed ex-West Ham keeper David Martin minutes before handing him a debut.
The National League outfit continue to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy as off-field issues threaten to force the club into extinction.
They were hit with a 10-point deduction last month, but have somehow managed four wins and two draws from their opening 10 league matches.
It left them one point adrift of second bottom Fylde ahead of their home game against Maidenhead.
Yet they are still scrambling around for players to field a full team.
And 90 minutes before Tuesday's clash, they announced the signings of Martin, 37, and Portuguese midfielder Mauro Vilhete, 30.
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The pair came in to replace Harry Taylor and Gus Scott-Morriss who are serving suspensions for red cards they picked up in a 3-0 defeat to York City on Saturday.
And Martin, who is famous for helping West Ham beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in 2019, was straight into the team for the game.
Meanwhile, Vilhete was named as one of just TWO substitutes.
Yet despite the unprecedented situation at Southend, the Roots Hall faithful remain in awe of those playing for their club.
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The disruption caused the match to be suspended as staff cleared the field.
Martin has owned the club since 1998.