Sam Gargan Explained

Sam Gargan
Fullname:Sam Joseph Gargan
Birth Date:24 January 1989[1]
Birth Place:Brighton, England
Position:Striker
Youthyears1:2005–2007
Youthclubs1:Brighton & Hove Albion
Years1:2007–2009
Caps1:1
Goals1:0
Years2:2007
Clubs2:Worthing (loan)
Caps2:19
Goals2:13
Years3:2007–2008
Clubs3:Bognor Regis Town (loan)
Caps3:5
Goals3:1
Years4:2008
Clubs4:Welling United (loan)
Caps4:16
Goals4:9
Years5:2008
Clubs5:→ Havant & Waterlooville (loan)
Caps5:5
Goals5:1
Years6:2008
Clubs6:Lewes (loan)
Caps6:8
Goals6:3
Years7:2009
Clubs7:Eastbourne Borough (loan)
Caps7:6
Goals7:1
Years9:2009–2010
Clubs9:Sutton United
Caps9:45
Goals9:17
Years10:2010–2015
Clubs10:Whitehawk
Caps10:110
Goals10:48
Years11:2014
Clubs11:→ Peacehaven & Telscombe (loan)
Years12:2015
Clubs12:Burgess Hill Town
Caps12:8
Goals12:5
Years13:2016
Clubs13:Whitehawk
Caps13:4
Goals13:0
Years14:2016
Clubs14:Burgess Hill Town (loan)
Years15:2016–2017
Clubs15:Burgess Hill Town
Club-Update:07:48, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Sam Joseph Gargan (born 24 January 1989, in Brighton) is an English footballer who plays as a striker whose last known club was Burgess Hill Town.

His professional career started at Brighton & Hove Albion in 2007. He spent two years at the club but only made the one appearance. Meanwhile, he enjoyed loan spells at Worthing, Bognor Regis Town, Welling United, Havant & Waterlooville, Lewes and Eastbourne Borough. In 2009, he dropped out of the Football League and signed for Sutton United, before moving to Whitehawk in 2010. Gargan briefly played for Burgess Hill Town in 2015,[2] but re-signed for Whitehawk at the end of the year after scoring four times for The Hillians in a 5–1 victory over Merstham. He returned to Burgess Hill Town on loan, before finally ending the season with Whitehawk. He rejoined Burgess Hill Town for the start of the 2016–17 season.[3]

Playing career

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 6 January 2007, for the Third Round FA Cup tie away at West Ham United, Gargan was involved in the first-team squad for the first time, travelling with the squad. He didn't make the bench, but was seen warming up on the pitch with all the other players beforehand, displaying the number 37 on his shorts. In May 2007, Gargan was offered a one-year professional contract with Brighton.[4] [5]

At the beginning of May 2007 it was revealed that Gargan, along with fellow other youth team players Sonny Cobbs, Lloyd Skinner and Chris Winterton were to be loaned out for three months to local teams for them to gain experience playing at a professional level.[6] [7] Gargan and Cobbs joined Worthing.[8] Gargan scored a prolific thirteen goals in nineteen league games. In November 2007, he joined teammate Scott Chamberlain on loan at Conference South team Bognor Regis Town.[9] After spending two months at Bognor, Gargan then moved on to Conference South rivals Welling United on a further loan deal, where he was re-united with ex-Brighton player Richard Carpenter. In sixteen league games at Welling, Gargan netted nine times. He made his Football League and Brighton debut on 26 April 2008, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute for Glenn Murray during the 2–0 away victory over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.[10] At the end of the season he signed another one-year contract.[11]

In a pre-season friendly with Selsey he scored a hat-trick.[12] At the start of the 2008–09 season, Gargan joined Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville on a one-month loan.[13] After the conclusion of this loan deal, Gargan then joined Conference National team Lewes on a one-month loan deal,[14] [15] and scored on his debut away at Histon; he then went on to score three goals in six games for the Rooks. Teammate Michael Standing was full of praise for the youngster, and said "he wins headers and gets hold of the ball" and made "a real difference to us".[16] In January 2009, he transferred to rival Sussex team Eastbourne Borough on a month loan.[17] [18] With the bad weather in February and games being postponed, Gargan managed to make only two appearances and scored one goal (against Histon). He returned to Brighton and was an unused substitute during the 4–0 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra on 28 February 2009, before two weeks later returning to Eastbourne on loan for the remainder of the season.[19] [20] His loan spell was cut short however after suffering a knee injury against Salisbury City, which later needed surgery on his knee cartilage.[21] It was announced in May 2009, that Gargan would be leaving Brighton after the expiration of his contract at the end of June 2009.[22] [23]

Sutton United

Gargan was signed by Sutton United manager Paul Doswell in the summer of 2009, along with his former colleague Sonny Cobbs. Gargan established himself as a first team regular, often playing as the sole target man following the departure of Sutton striker Stefan Payne to Fulham. He scored seventeen goals in 46 games over all competitions, as his club came second in the league before losing in the play-offs to Kingstonian. United believed they had lost the player as he went missing after the match, but this appeared not to be the case after Gargan revealed he had been with family in Spain and was unaware of the club's attempts to contact him.[24] He said he would return to Sutton for next season if his attempts at finding a higher level club were to fail.[25]

During the summer of 2010 he was handed a trial at Port Vale by his former manager from Brighton Micky Adams.[26] However he instead opted for a trial at League Two rivals Gillingham, playing in "Gills" colours for the first time in a friendly match with Braintree Town.[27] He later played a pre-season friendly for Rushden & Diamonds.[28] After no success, Gargan declined Sutton's offer to re-sign and instead joined his local team Whitehawk, where his father has strong links. He finished top scorer in an interrupted first season narrowly missing out on promotion. The following season he finished as the club's top scorer again this time netting 23 times from 45 starts as the club finished the 2011–12 season as Isthmian League Division One South champions and won the Sussex Senior Cup for the first time in 50 years with Gargan scoring the winning goal.

Statistics

Club performanceLeagueCupLeague CupTotal
Season Club LeagueApps GoalsApps GoalsApps GoalsApps Goals
EnglandLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotal
2007–08Brighton & Hove AlbionLeague One10000010
2007–08WorthingIsthmian Division One South191300001913
2007–08Bognor Regis TownConference South51000051
2007–08Welling UnitedConference South1690000169
2008–09Brighton & Hove AlbionLeague One00000000
2008–09Havant & WaterloovilleConference South51000051
2008–09LewesConference National83000083
2008–09Eastbourne BoroughConference National61000061
2009–10Sutton UnitedIsthmian Premier Division451200004517
2010–11WhitehawkIsthmian Division One South211700002117
2011–12WhitehawkIsthmian Division One South341353003916
2012–13WhitehawkIsthmian Premier16833001911
2013–14WhitehawkNational League South17400001911
2014–15WhitehawkNational League South2321000242
2015–16WhitehawkNational League South40000040
TotalEngland23184960024090
Career total23184960024090
Notes:a. Football League Trophy results included in totals.

Honours

with Sutton United

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hugman . Barry J. . The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09 . Mainstream . 2008 . 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. Web site: Burgess Hill sign Whitehawk striker Sam Gargan. The News. 16 October 2015. 18 December 2015.
  3. Web site: Two in – one out at Burgess Hill. Pitch Hero Non League. 23 August 2016. 24 August 2016.
  4. Web site: Scholars Win Pro Deals . Camillin . Paul . 12 May 2007 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313104619/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1024466,00.html . 13 March 2018 . dead .
  5. Web site: Seagulls quartet handed contracts. 11 May 2007. BBC Sport. 21 June 2010.
  6. Web site: Brighton quartet to be loaned out. 22 May 2007. BBC Sport. 21 June 2010.
  7. Web site: Youngsters Out On Loan . Dudding . Tim . 10 July 2007 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313224457/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1070329,00.html . 13 March 2018 . dead .
  8. Web site: Seagulls farm young quartet out. 10 July 2007. BBC Sport. 21 June 2010.
  9. Web site: Gargan makes Bognor loan switch. 14 November 2007. BBC Sport. 21 June 2010.
  10. Web site: Brighton vs Yeovil Town . Dudding . Tim . 8 May 2010 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 .
  11. Web site: Five Offered New Deals . Camillin . Paul . 6 May 2008 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313171827/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1306800,00.html . 13 March 2018 . dead .
  12. Web site: Full Time: Selsey 0 Albion 4 . Camillin . Paul . 2 August 2008 . seagulls.co.uk . 22 June 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313092647/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1354716,00.html . 13 March 2018 . dead .
  13. Web site: Strike Duo Out on Loan . Dudding . Tim . 8 August 2008 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20180314001515/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1361155,00.html . 14 March 2018 . dead .
  14. Web site: Lewes snap up loan striker Gargan. 23 September 2008. BBC Sport. 22 June 2010.
  15. Web site: Three Loaned Out . Camillin . Paul . 23 September 2008 . seagulls.premiumtv.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313104615/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1401186,00.html . 13 March 2018 . dead .
  16. Web site: Standing hails Gargan recruitment. 29 September 2008. BBC Sport. 22 June 2010.
  17. Web site: Eastbourne complete double swoop. 30 January 2009. BBC Sport. 22 June 2010.
  18. News: Seagulls poised for double transfer swoop. The Argus. 29 January 2009. 29 January 2009.
  19. News: Albion striker back at Priory Lane. The Argus. 12 March 2009. 12 March 2009.
  20. Web site: Eastbourne re-sign Seagull Gargan. 13 March 2009. BBC Sport. 22 June 2010.
  21. News: Gargan blow for Borough. The Argus. 2 April 2009. 11 April 2009.
  22. Web site: New Deals for Three . Camillin . Paul . 12 May 2009 . seagulls.co.uk . 21 June 2010 . dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20180314021537/http://world.seagulls.co.uk/page/Latest/0,,10433~1655646,00.html . 14 March 2018 . dead .
  23. Web site: Fourteen let go in Brighton cull. 12 May 2009. BBC Sport. 21 June 2010.
  24. Web site: Gargan could make Sutton return. Amos. Stuart. 9 June 2010. Sutton Guardian. 1 July 2010.
  25. Web site: Sutton's Gargan targets pro return. Amos. Stuart. 14 June 2010. Sutton Guardian. 1 July 2010.
  26. Web site: Port Vale: Adams hands trial to Brighton old boy. 11 June 2010. The Sentinel. 14 June 2010.
  27. Web site: BRAINTREE TOWN 2–1 GILLINGHAM . 10 July 2010 . gillinghamfootballclub.com . 10 July 2010.
  28. News: Match Report: Diamonds 2 – 1 WBA XI . 6 August 2010 . 13 August 2010 . Official website . dmy.