It is no secret that sport plays a significant role in the lives of Isle of Wight residents, so it should not come as a surprise to learn that many established professional sportspeople from the Isle of Wight have hit the big time. Over the years, there have been some hugely successful sporting exports from the island; here is just a small selection of Isle of Wight-born athletes that have hit the big time.
Kieron Baker
Kieron Baker was born in Ryde, Isle of Wight, on October 29, 1949, and it soon became apparent that he had a penchant for football. Baker began his career playing for Fulham’s youth and reserve teams in 1965 before returning to the Isle of Wight and becoming a goalkeeper for Ryde County Old Boys in 1967.
Baker signed his first professional contract in July 1967 with AFC Bournemouth, who were then in the English Football League’s Third Division. Of course, AFC Bournemouth now competes in the Premier League, where Manchester City are the overwhelming favourite with the best online sports betting websites to win the title. Baker had to bide his time before making his first-team debut and did not become the team’s number one until the 1973-74 season.
By 1978, Baker had made 210 appearances for Bournemouth and earned a testimonial for his services to the club. Unsuccessful spells with Ipswich Town and Norwich City followed before Baker played 38 games for Oxford City and 75 for Weymouth before 15 games for Yeovil Town brought the curtain down on Baker’s 16-year career.
Louis Attrill
Louis Attrill is one of those people who shine in any sport they turn their hands to. As a youngster, Attrill played cricket and rugby for the Hampshire Colts and became the British junior kickboxing champion at 16, but his love for rowing took over Attrill’s life.
Attrill took up rowing at the Shankin Rowing Club before becoming part of the Imperial College Boat Club in 1993; he won the Henley Royal Regatta during his debut season. Great Britain’s selection committee noticed Attrill’s obvious talents, and he began representing Great Britain in international competitions. He was one of the eight that finished fourth in the 1998 World Championships and won a silver medal the following year in St. Catharines, Canada.
Attrill was part of the eights that headed to Australia for the 200 Olympic Games in Sydney. Great Britain returned home with the gold medal. In 2001, a year after winning gold in Australia, Attrill was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to rowing in the 2001 New Year Honours list.
Aaron Martin
Aaron Martin was born in Newport, Isle of Wight, in September 1989 and played his youth football for non-League club Eastleigh. A 6ft 3in towering central defender, Martin played 36 games for Eastleigh, scoring four goals, before Southampton paid an undisclosed five-figure sum to secure his services. Martin was part of the Southampton side that gained promotion to the Championship and then the Premier League, although he did not make a Premier League appearance before he left the club in 2014.
Martin went on to play for several teams, including Birmingham City, Coventry City, and Exeter City, the latter seeing him score five goals in 58 appearances. Martin spent a season in Scotland with Hamilton Academical before returning to England with Port Vale. Martin signed a short-term deal with boyhood team Eastleigh in July 2022, 13 years since leaving the club. Manager Lee Bradbury made Martin the team’s captain, and he played 33 of Eastleigh’s 46 games during the 2022-23 National League season.
