Michael Martindale

Michael Martindale, widely known in rugby league circles as Mick or by the nickname "Tricky", was a former professional rugby league player from Oldham, Greater Manchester. <cite index="2-5">Mr Martindale enjoyed a successful career in rugby which saw him play for England at under-16s level before stints at Halifax, Wakefield, Oldham and Rochdale as a professional.</cite> <cite index="3-7">Mr Martindale played for Oldham RLFC in the late 1990s before moving to Rochdale and later helped Oldham St Annes win the National Cup.</cite>

He was remembered by former teammates and clubs as a popular, funny and generous figure. <cite index="4-5">Tributes poured in for the former Oldham RLFC player, 50, who was described as a "great player" and a "top bloke" by former teammate Micki Edwards.</cite> <cite index="4-8">Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust described Mr Martindale as a "larger than life character" who had died "far too soon".</cite> <cite index="2-3">The inquest heard Mr Martindale was known for his "witty one-liners" and that he had a "kind and caring nature" as well as an "infectious laugh".</cite>

<cite index="3-3">Mr Martindale was found dead at a property at Heywood House on the Eldon Street Estate, Eldon Street on Wednesday, May 28, after police were called to the property shortly before 8pm that evening.</cite> He was 50 years old. <cite index="1-3">Mr Martindale, a father-of-four who was working as a labourer at the time, had battled alcoholism.</cite> The discovery of a number of injuries on his body prompted Greater Manchester Police to open a murder investigation, and <cite index="4-6">three men, one in his 60s and two in their 50s, along with a woman in her 40s who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, would have no further action taken against them.</cite>

The case mattered to his community not only because of the mystery surrounding how he died, but because of who he had been: a well known local sportsman whose career had taken him through several of the north of England's rugby league clubs, and who had continued to give back to the game through coaching after he retired. <cite index="5-5">Tributes have been made by rugby clubs, some of which were where the loose forward played during his career.</cite>

<cite index="4-3,4-4">Now, 14 months on from Mr Martindale's death, police confirmed the investigation had been closed and no criminal action would be taken.</cite> A full inquest was then held at Rochdale Coroners' Court on 10 November 2026. <cite index="1-3,1-4">He had successfully completed long periods of sobriety after rehab stays, but there were relapses.</cite> <cite index="2-6">Dr Robinson reported Mr Martindale's cause of death as "1a neck injuries" along with contributing factors of a laceration of the spleen, cardiomegaly and coronary artery atheroma, which assistant coroner Michael Salt accepted.</cite> <cite index="1-7">Mr Salt called the police investigation 'wide-ranging' but one that 'led to no clear conclusion'.</cite> <cite index="2-7">Mr Martindale's death was recorded as an open conclusion by Mr Salt.</cite>