Sam Collins
Encyclopedia
Samuel Jason "Sam" Collins (born 5 June 1977) is an English
footballer who plays as a defender
for Hartlepool United
, where he serves as captain. His brother, Simon
, is also a former professional footballer and manager.
He started his career with Huddersfield Town
in 1997, alongside his brother, before he transferred to Bury
in 1999. After three years he moved on to Port Vale
, where he established himself as club captain and star defender. His performances earned him a move up to Hull City
in 2006, though a series of knee injuries blighted his time at the club. Loaned to Swindon Town
for a brief spell in 2007, the following year he signed permanently with Hartlepool United. Spending most of his career in the third tier of English football, he has been described as a "warrior" and as "the quintessential lower-league centre-back".
, West Yorkshire
, Collins started his career at First Division
Huddersfield Town
as a trainee. Earning a senior debut just as brother Simon, was leaving the club, he made 41 appearances in all competitions before leaving the club himself. In 1999 he stepped down a division to join Bury
, who paid the "Terriers" a £75,000 fee for his services. He played ninety games in all competitions for the "Shakers", including 82 in the Second Division
, before being released at the end of the 2001–02 season, following the club's relegation into the Third Division
.
He signed for Brian Horton
's Port Vale
in June 2002. Collins played 49 games for Port Vale and was named their Player Of The Year
in the 2002–03
season, later becoming the team captain. In September 2003 he was given the Second Division
Player of the Month award. At the end of the 2003–04
season he penned a new two year deal, having put in a 47 game haul. He played 37 games in 2004–05
, helping the club to avoid relegation to League Two
.
His continuing strong performances in 2005–06
attracted interest from Plymouth Argyle
boss Tony Pulis
. However he rejected the approach, and instead joined Peter Taylor's Hull City
in November on loan from Vale, prior to a permanent transfer for a fee of £65,000 in the January transfer window
. Team-mate Billy Paynter
also made the switch to the "Tigers" at the same time.
He captained Hull on several occasions, but after only seventeen league games for the "Tigers" he joined a lengthy list of team-mates on the treatment table, suffering a knee ligament injury in a February game at Millwall
, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2005–06 season. He also missed most of the following season through a further knee injury, making only eight appearances. In September 2007, he joined Swindon Town
on a one month loan, in which he made four appearances for the "Robins".
He joined Hartlepool United
on transfer deadline day, 31 January 2008, for a nominal fee. After only several weeks with the club he was sidelined by an injury sustained from an awkward fall. This came just days after assistant boss Ian Butterworth
praised Collins for "[adding] steel to the back four".
He was appointed captain at the start of his first full season with the club, and made 48 appearances by the end of the campaign, earning himself a new contract at the end of the campaign. His consistency continued in 2009–10
, as he played a total of 48 games. After 49 appearances in the 2010–11
campaign, he signed a new contract with the club in May 2011.
. In the two years he was there, he helped Brackenhill gain promotion twice.
|1996–97||Huddersfield Town
||First Division
||4||0||0||0||2||0||6||0
|-
|1997–98||Huddersfield Town
||First Division
||10||0||0||0||1||0||11||0
|-
|1998–99||Huddersfield Town
||First Division
||23||0||3||0||4||0||30||0
|-
|1999–2000||Bury
||Second Division
||19||0||1||0||2||0||22||0
|-
|2000–01||Bury
||Second Division
||34||2||1||0||2||0||37||2
|-
|2001–02||Bury
||Second Division
||29||0||0||0||1||0||31||0
|-
|2002–03
||Port Vale
||Second Division
||44||5||1||0||1||0||49||5
|-
|2003–04
||Port Vale
||League One
||43||4||3||0||1||0||47||4
|-
|2004–05
||Port Vale
||League One
||33||2||1||0||1||0||37||2
|-
|2005–06
||Port Vale
||League One
||15||0||0||0||1||0||16||0
|-
|2005–06||Hull City
||Championship
||17||0||1||0||0||0||18||0
|-
|2006–07||Hull City
||Championship
||6||0||0||0||0||0||8||0
|-
|2007–08||Hull City
||Championship
||10||2||1||0||0||0||11||2
|-
|2007–08||Swindon Town
||League One
||4||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|2008–09||Hartlepool United
||League One
||40||1||2||0||3||0||46||1
|-
|2009–10
||Hartlepool United
||League One
||44||0||1||0||2||0||48||0
|-
|2010–11
||Hartlepool United
||League One
||42||2||3||0||2||0||49||2
|-
|2011–12||Hartlepool United
||League One
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
417||18||18||0||23||0||470||18
417||18||18||0||23||0||470||18
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer who plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, where he serves as captain. His brother, Simon
Simon Collins (footballer)
Simon Jonathan Collins is an English former professional footballer, born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, who made 200 appearances in the Football League playing as a defender for Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle, Macclesfield Town and Shrewsbury Town...
, is also a former professional footballer and manager.
He started his career with Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
in 1997, alongside his brother, before he transferred to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in 1999. After three years he moved on to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, where he established himself as club captain and star defender. His performances earned him a move up to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
in 2006, though a series of knee injuries blighted his time at the club. Loaned to Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
for a brief spell in 2007, the following year he signed permanently with Hartlepool United. Spending most of his career in the third tier of English football, he has been described as a "warrior" and as "the quintessential lower-league centre-back".
Career
Born in PontefractPontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, Collins started his career at First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
as a trainee. Earning a senior debut just as brother Simon, was leaving the club, he made 41 appearances in all competitions before leaving the club himself. In 1999 he stepped down a division to join Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, who paid the "Terriers" a £75,000 fee for his services. He played ninety games in all competitions for the "Shakers", including 82 in the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, before being released at the end of the 2001–02 season, following the club's relegation into the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
.
He signed for Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...
's Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in June 2002. Collins played 49 games for Port Vale and was named their Player Of The Year
Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
in the 2002–03
2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Port Vale's ninety-first season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth place finish...
season, later becoming the team captain. In September 2003 he was given the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Player of the Month award. At the end of the 2003–04
2003–04 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Port Vale's ninety-second season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in the Second Division. Brian Horton resigned in February, and was replaced by Martin Foyle. Vale fought for promotion, but finished outside the play-off zone on goal difference...
season he penned a new two year deal, having put in a 47 game haul. He played 37 games in 2004–05
2004–05 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2004–05 season was Port Vale's ninety-third season of football in the Football League, and first in the newly created League One. Martin Foyle's first full season in charge, Vale survived a relegation dogfight to finish in eighteenth place...
, helping the club to avoid relegation to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
His continuing strong performances in 2005–06
2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Port Vale's ninety-fourth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League One. They finished in mid-table, and exited the League Cup at the First Round and the League Trophy at the Second Round. In the FA Cup, Vale made it to the Fourth...
attracted interest from Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
boss Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis
Anthony Richard "Tony" Pulis is a Welsh former football player and is currently the manager of Stoke City. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at the age of 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have obtained the qualification...
. However he rejected the approach, and instead joined Peter Taylor's Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
in November on loan from Vale, prior to a permanent transfer for a fee of £65,000 in the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. Team-mate Billy Paynter
Billy Paynter
William Paul "Billy" Paynter is a professional footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Leeds United in the Football League Championship as a striker....
also made the switch to the "Tigers" at the same time.
He captained Hull on several occasions, but after only seventeen league games for the "Tigers" he joined a lengthy list of team-mates on the treatment table, suffering a knee ligament injury in a February game at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2005–06 season. He also missed most of the following season through a further knee injury, making only eight appearances. In September 2007, he joined Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
on a one month loan, in which he made four appearances for the "Robins".
He joined Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
on transfer deadline day, 31 January 2008, for a nominal fee. After only several weeks with the club he was sidelined by an injury sustained from an awkward fall. This came just days after assistant boss Ian Butterworth
Ian Butterworth
Ian Stuart Butterworth is a former professional footballer, formerly assistant and caretaker manager at Norwich City....
praised Collins for "[adding] steel to the back four".
He was appointed captain at the start of his first full season with the club, and made 48 appearances by the end of the campaign, earning himself a new contract at the end of the campaign. His consistency continued in 2009–10
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
, as he played a total of 48 games. After 49 appearances in the 2010–11
2010–11 Football League
The Football League 2010–11, called the Npower Football League, was the 111th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2010 and concluded in May 2011, with the promotion play-off finals....
campaign, he signed a new contract with the club in May 2011.
Coaching career
Between 2003 and 2005 he helped coach Brackenhill Blues, an under-13 football club based at AckworthAckworth, West Yorkshire
Ackworth is a village and civil parish in the metropolitan borough of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, situated between Pontefract, Barnsley and Doncaster on the small River Went. The village consists of four parts, High Ackworth, Low Ackworth, Ackworth Moortop, and Brackenhill...
. In the two years he was there, he helped Brackenhill gain promotion twice.
Statistics
|-|1996–97||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||4||0||0||0||2||0||6||0
|-
|1997–98||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||10||0||0||0||1||0||11||0
|-
|1998–99||Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||23||0||3||0||4||0||30||0
|-
|1999–2000||Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||19||0||1||0||2||0||22||0
|-
|2000–01||Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||34||2||1||0||2||0||37||2
|-
|2001–02||Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||29||0||0||0||1||0||31||0
|-
|2002–03
2002–03 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2002–03 season was Port Vale's ninety-first season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth place finish...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||44||5||1||0||1||0||49||5
|-
|2003–04
2003–04 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2003–04 season was Port Vale's ninety-second season of football in the Football League, and fourth successive season in the Second Division. Brian Horton resigned in February, and was replaced by Martin Foyle. Vale fought for promotion, but finished outside the play-off zone on goal difference...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||43||4||3||0||1||0||47||4
|-
|2004–05
2004–05 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2004–05 season was Port Vale's ninety-third season of football in the Football League, and first in the newly created League One. Martin Foyle's first full season in charge, Vale survived a relegation dogfight to finish in eighteenth place...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||33||2||1||0||1||0||37||2
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Port Vale's ninety-fourth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League One. They finished in mid-table, and exited the League Cup at the First Round and the League Trophy at the Second Round. In the FA Cup, Vale made it to the Fourth...
||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||15||0||0||0||1||0||16||0
|-
|2005–06||Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||17||0||1||0||0||0||18||0
|-
|2006–07||Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||6||0||0||0||0||0||8||0
|-
|2007–08||Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||10||2||1||0||0||0||11||2
|-
|2007–08||Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||4||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|2008–09||Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||40||1||2||0||3||0||46||1
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...
||Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||44||0||1||0||2||0||48||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Hartlepool United F.C. season
-League table:A total of 24 teams contest the division, including 17 sides remaining in the division from last season, three relegated from the Championship, and four promoted from League Two.-Results:...
||Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||42||2||3||0||2||0||49||2
|-
|2011–12||Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
417||18||18||0||23||0||470||18
417||18||18||0||23||0||470||18
- Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
and play-off statistics included in totals column.
Honours
Individual- Port Vale F.C. Player of the YearPort Vale F.C. Player of the YearThe Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
: 2002–032002–03 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 2002–03 season was Port Vale's ninety-first season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in the Second Division. Another poor season, Brian Horton's side avoided relegation with a seventeenth place finish... - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Player of the Month: September 2003
External links
- Sam Collins profile at the Hartlepool United website
- Sam Collins profile at In The Mad Crowd