Sammy Brooks (footballer) explained

Sammy Brooks (footballer) should not be confused with Sammy Brookes.

Sammy Brooks
Fullname:Samuel Ernest Brooks
Birth Date:28 March 1890
Birth Place:Brierley Hill, England
Death Place:Brierley Hill, England
Position:Winger
Youthclubs1:Brierley Hill Corinthians
Youthclubs2:Brierley Hill Alliance
Youthclubs3:Bilston United
Years1:1909–1922
Clubs1:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps1:224
Goals1:50
Years2:1922–1924
Clubs2:Tottenham Hotspur
Caps2:10
Goals2:1
Years3:1924–1925
Clubs3:Southend United
Caps3:12
Goals3:2
Totalcaps:246
Totalgoals:53

Samuel Ernest Brooks (28 March 1890 – 13 January 1960) was an English footballer who spent the majority of his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played for the club in the 1921 FA Cup final. After 13 years with Wolves, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1922. He later played for Southend United, Cradley Heath, and Kidderminster Harriers, before retiring in 1927.

Career

Brooks was born in Brierley Hill, and played local non-League football before he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 1909. He eventually made his debut on 11 April 1911, in a goalless draw with Bradford Park Avenue.[1] He made only sporadic appearances in his first few seasons before establishing himself in the 1912–13 season, as Wanderers posted a tenth-place finish in the Second Division. He finished the 1913–14 season as the club's top goalscorer with 11 goals. His best season came in 1914–15 when he missed just one game and scored 18 times, his best seasonal tally; the club pushed for promotion but ended the campaign in fourth place.

During the war he guested for Birmingham, Port Vale and Coventry City.[2] He won a cap from his country in a Victory International in October 1919. Also, he represented the Football League against the Irish League. He returned to Molineux after the war, as the club struggled at the foot of the Second Division table in 1919–20 and 1920–21. Despite their poor league form, the club put together a series of results in the FA Cup and went on to reach the final. Brooks won a runners-up medal in the 1921 FA Cup final after a 1–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. Their cup run proved to be a flash-in-the-pan, as they exited the cup in the First Round and continued to struggle in the league in 1921–22.

Brooks signed with Tottenham Hotspur in 1922, having scored 53 goals in 246 league and cup appearances in total for Wolves. However, he struggled at White Hart Lane, and scored one goal in only ten First Division appearances in the 1922–23 and 1923–24 seasons.[3] [4] He spent the 1924–25 campaign at Southend United, and scored two goals in 12 Third Division South appearances. He soon dropped into non-League with clubs such as Cradley Heath and Kidderminster Harriers before retiring in 1927.

Statistics

Source:

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wolverhampton Wanderers1910–11Second Division600060
1911–12Second Division14142183
1912–13Second Division34620366
1913–14Second Division3211303511
1914–15Second Division3718203918
1919–20Second Division34630376
1920–21Second Division33681417
1921–22Second Division34200342
Total2245022324653
Tottenham Hotspur1922–23First Division710071
1923–24First Division300030
Total10100101
Southend United1924–25Third Division South12200122
Career total246532232688

Honours

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hero. wolvesheroes.com. 16 December 2012.
  2. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 45. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.
  3. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_azofplayers.html A-Z of Tottenham Hotspur players
  4. http://sufcdb.co.uk/index.php?option=com_players&action=4&poffset=0&sort=abc Brooks' stats at Southend United