Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "linfield-swifts"
A Northern Ireland Schoolboy International
Samuel Edward (Sammy) Nelson 1924 -2019
Sammy Nelson was born in Belfast on 26 May 1924. Having been a Northern Ireland Schoolboy international, he joined Linfield Swifts for the 1943/44 season as an outside right. With their then strong scouting system Blackpool were alerted to his talent and the club signed him as an amateur in September 1946.
He made his Blackpool debut for the Central League (reserve) side against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves on 21 September 1946 when Blackpool lost 3 1.By October of 1946 his consistently good displays for the reserve side led to the comment that he 'may be the outside right Blackpool have been hunting for a season and a quarter'. This, of course, was unfortunately not to be the case when Blackpool made their next outside right signing.
He became a regular in the Central League side and scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 defeat of Leeds United reserves on 2 November 1946.
Injury to Alec Munro gave him his League debut against Blackburn Rovers on 26 December 1946 when Blackpool won 1-0. He went on to play 10 successive games in the outside right position, with Munro, when fit again, moving to inside right.
He ‘played well’ as Blackpool defeated Preston North End 4-0 on 15 February 1947 but, after two successive defeats, 3-0 by Manchester United and 1-0 by Bolton Wanderers on 22 February and 1 March respectively, he was left out of the side while Munro returned to outside right. He returned to Central League action the following week and scored twice in Blackpool’s 11-0 thrashing of Leeds United reserves.
But he did return for one final League game in the 1946/47 season, a 3-2 victory at Grimsby Town on 22 March 1947. He had played 11 games in the First Division in the 1946/47 season and he also played 23 Central League games, scoring five goals.
His Blackpool career was seriously affected when the club signed Stanley Matthews for the 1947/48 season and, consequently, his first team appearances were restricted and, as with so many others later, he played in the League side only as understudy to Matthews.
He missed the opening two games of the 1947/48 season but returned to action, at inside right, in a 2-1 victory over Bury reserves on 30 August 1947. Thereafter he was a regular member of the Central League side until earning a recall to League action.
His first League appearance of the season came against Portsmouth on 18 October 1947 when Matthews was on international duty; Blackpool won the game 1-0. A niggling injury to Matthews gave him two further opportunities when he played in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United and a 4-0 defeat by Middlesbrough on 15 and 22 November respectively. The latter game was his final League game for Blackpool as Matthews returned to the side.
His final game for the club was in a 2-1 defeat by Bury reserves on 3 January 1948. In addition to the three League games, he played 19 Central League games in which he scored two goals in the 1947/48 season.
Late in 1947 he left his job in Preston, where he worked as a draughtsman, and moved to London to continue his career. Not surprisingly he found travelling back to Blackpool for football rather difficult and he therefore requested a transfer.
Luton Town had been spoken of as being interested in signing him. And the Blackpool directors had sympathy with his situation and he was duly transferred to Luton Town on 9 January 1948. He had played 14 League games and 41 Central League games, scoring seven goals, for Blackpool in his season and a half at Bloomfield Road.
He played four League games, scoring one goal, in the 1947/48 season for Luton Town before retiring to concentrate on his career outside the game.
He died on 15 April 2019.
Sammy Nelson was born in Belfast on 26 May 1924. Having been a Northern Ireland Schoolboy international, he joined Linfield Swifts for the 1943/44 season as an outside right. With their then strong scouting system Blackpool were alerted to his talent and the club signed him as an amateur in September 1946.
He made his Blackpool debut for the Central League (reserve) side against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves on 21 September 1946 when Blackpool lost 3 1.By October of 1946 his consistently good displays for the reserve side led to the comment that he 'may be the outside right Blackpool have been hunting for a season and a quarter'. This, of course, was unfortunately not to be the case when Blackpool made their next outside right signing.
He became a regular in the Central League side and scored his first goal for the club in a 4-0 defeat of Leeds United reserves on 2 November 1946.
Injury to Alec Munro gave him his League debut against Blackburn Rovers on 26 December 1946 when Blackpool won 1-0. He went on to play 10 successive games in the outside right position, with Munro, when fit again, moving to inside right.
He ‘played well’ as Blackpool defeated Preston North End 4-0 on 15 February 1947 but, after two successive defeats, 3-0 by Manchester United and 1-0 by Bolton Wanderers on 22 February and 1 March respectively, he was left out of the side while Munro returned to outside right. He returned to Central League action the following week and scored twice in Blackpool’s 11-0 thrashing of Leeds United reserves.
But he did return for one final League game in the 1946/47 season, a 3-2 victory at Grimsby Town on 22 March 1947. He had played 11 games in the First Division in the 1946/47 season and he also played 23 Central League games, scoring five goals.
His Blackpool career was seriously affected when the club signed Stanley Matthews for the 1947/48 season and, consequently, his first team appearances were restricted and, as with so many others later, he played in the League side only as understudy to Matthews.
He missed the opening two games of the 1947/48 season but returned to action, at inside right, in a 2-1 victory over Bury reserves on 30 August 1947. Thereafter he was a regular member of the Central League side until earning a recall to League action.
His first League appearance of the season came against Portsmouth on 18 October 1947 when Matthews was on international duty; Blackpool won the game 1-0. A niggling injury to Matthews gave him two further opportunities when he played in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United and a 4-0 defeat by Middlesbrough on 15 and 22 November respectively. The latter game was his final League game for Blackpool as Matthews returned to the side.
His final game for the club was in a 2-1 defeat by Bury reserves on 3 January 1948. In addition to the three League games, he played 19 Central League games in which he scored two goals in the 1947/48 season.
Late in 1947 he left his job in Preston, where he worked as a draughtsman, and moved to London to continue his career. Not surprisingly he found travelling back to Blackpool for football rather difficult and he therefore requested a transfer.
Luton Town had been spoken of as being interested in signing him. And the Blackpool directors had sympathy with his situation and he was duly transferred to Luton Town on 9 January 1948. He had played 14 League games and 41 Central League games, scoring seven goals, for Blackpool in his season and a half at Bloomfield Road.
He played four League games, scoring one goal, in the 1947/48 season for Luton Town before retiring to concentrate on his career outside the game.
He died on 15 April 2019.
