Obituary - Sammy Martinez, football fan and British Honduran forestry worker

Born 18th February 1910

Died 24th August 2016

Sam Martinez who has died aged 106 enjoyed a remarkable life which spanned continents and centuries.An enthusiastic Hibs fan for over 70 years, he attracted a lot of attention when he was present as a guest of the club at Hampden Park in May to witness them lift the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1902, probably the oldest fan ever to attend the Final.

As far as Sam was concerned this was ‘eleventh time lucky,’ as he had previously attended 10 Cup Finals, including replays, without seeing his beloved Hibs win the much coveted trophy. His first had been in 1947 when Aberdeen defeated the Easter Road side 2-1.

Two years earlier he had attended his first Hibs game,almost by accident. When walking along York Place towards Leith Walk one Saturday he noticed a commotion with a large crowd of boisterous people milling around and feared a riot was about to take place.

He swiftly made his way back to his nearby hostel where he learned that in fact these were football fans en route to see Hibs play Rangers that afternoon.

Making his way to Easter Road he queued up for a ticket,” the only black man in the queue”, he later recounted.

He was given a complimentary ticket and when it was pointed out that Hibs were in green, Sam decided to support them as his team in his native British Honduras, Astrans F.C., played in green too. So started his love affair with Hibs.

Brought up in the southern coastal village of Barranco in what is now Belize,he was one of eight brothers and two sisters.

He came to Scotland in November 1942 as part of the 800 strong British Honduras Forestry Unit to help in the War effort.

In June 1941 the government identified the need for a significant increase in home timber production to reduce reliance on shipping, timber being needed in particular for the coal industry, for pit props and to fire steel production for armaments.

In May 1941 Lord Moyne, Secretary of State for Colonies, cabled the Governor of British Honduras, Sir John Hunter, requesting a unit of 500 skilled woodsmen to work in Scottish forests. This was agreed and when they arrived later that year they were posted to East Lothian and Dumfriesshire.

Sam came over in another group the following year, travelling by boat to the U.S.A. and then here. He and his colleagues were sent to a work camp on the banks of Little Loch Broom near Ullapool, where it was very cold, accommodation was extremely basic and the work hard.

On their first day they were knee deep in snow, which, of course ,none had ever seen before.

He had volunteered he said because he saw himself as “a Britisher” and felt a strong connection to Britain. Although conditions were tough, he recalled: "We didn’t look back because we had come to do a job.” He found the local people very friendly although when children first saw them they exclaimed,” The coal men are coming!”

After the War at a dance in Leith, he met future wife, Mary, with whom he enjoyed many years of happy marriage till her death in 2007 and together they raised six children.

At the end of the War the Forestry Unit were given a choice of repatriation or remaining here, Sam opting to make his life in Edinburgh. Initially he worked as a cook in a youth hostel. He was proud to relate how future Prime Minister Harold Macmillan after a visit remarked that the meal he ate there was ‘the best he’d ever had!’

He went on to find regular employment in the paper mill at Balerno, near Edinburgh, where he "retired" aged 65 - after which he continued in different jobs till he was 94.

Hibs figured large in his life and over the years he regularly attended their games home and away. He was a member of the Hawkhill Branch Supporters’ Club being awarded Honorary Membership some years ago.

The Hibs’ Supporters Association recognised his contribution and he was their guest of honour at a number of Player of the Year functions, presenting awards to Jason Cummings and Liam Henderson among others.

Skipper David Gray who scored the winning Cup Final goal met him several times and mentioned him in both his pre and post Cup Final press conferences. The Cup success made Sam very happy - he commented “the best day ever, I was the happiest man in Hampden. Hibs are a really great club, they’ve been very good to me.” Last Saturday Hibs wore black armbands in tribute.

The Merchant Company of Edinburgh hosted a 106th birthday party for Sam this year in the Merchants Hall as they had done on his 100th birthday. The Master of the Company presided a representative of the Lord Provost was present and Sam was driven there in the Provost’s car.

Until recently he lived fairly independently in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh. A great family man, he was a very genuine individual with an equable temperament who always saw the best in people. An extremely popular figure, his was a long and rich life.

JACK DAVIDSON