Sammy Black
Encyclopedia
Samuel "Sammy" Black was a Scottish footballer who played as an outside left
.
Often regarded as the greatest player to have represented Plymouth Argyle
, he is the club's all-time record scorer with 182 goals. His career began in his native Scotland
with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
, where he was spotted by Bob Jack
. He moved to Devon
in 1924 and became an instant favourite with the club's supporters. His goalscoring ability made him stand out from other wingers and his partnership with inside left
Jack Leslie became legendary, as the club challenged for promotion to the First Division
during the 1930s. Nicknamed The Mighty Atom, Black was known to play with a cigarette
stub tucked behind his ear. He ended his career with Queens Park Rangers
and returned to Plymouth
during the war
to work in the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
. He was inducted into the Plymouth Argyle Hall of Fame in 2004.
, a junior club based in East Dunbartonshire
. His performances caught the eye of Bob Jack
, a fellow Scot who was manager of Plymouth Argyle
. Black joined the club in 1924 and scored on his Football League debut in a 7–1 win against Brentford
. His skill on the ball and goalscoring ability made him a darling of the Home Park
crowd and he formed a lethal partnership with Jack Leslie; they scored 320 goals between them in all competitions for Argyle. When rumours of interest from other club's surfaced, a Sammy Must Not Go! campaign sparked demonstrations and public meetings; Black was destined to remain as Argyle's talisman
.
His last match for the club in January 1938, with Bob Jack still in charge of first team selection but due to retire at the end of the 1937–38 season. Black then joined Queens Park Rangers
, having scored 182 goals in 491 appearances for the club. His stay at Loftus Road
was ended abruptly by the outbreak of war and he returned to Plymouth
having made just five league appearances. To mark Plymouth Argyle's 100th year as a professional club, the club's supporters were asked to vote on who they thought were the best to have represented Argyle during that time. Black was included alongside twelve other people, but he was the only one who played before the war.
when his playing career was brought to an end to work in the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
at HMNB Devonport
as a storehouse assistant. He continued to live in the city after hostilities had ceased and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal in 1966 for his contribution to the depot. He died in 1977.
Individiual
Outside forward
Outside forward is a position in association football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
.
Often regarded as the greatest player to have represented 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...
, he is the club's all-time record scorer with 182 goals. His career began in his native Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
, where he was spotted by Bob Jack
Bob Jack
Robert "Bob" Jack was a Scottish footballer and manager. An Outside-left by trade, Jack played in Scotland for Alloa Athletic, and in England for Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Glossop, Plymouth Argyle and Southend United in a career spanning almost twenty-years...
. He moved to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1924 and became an instant favourite with the club's supporters. His goalscoring ability made him stand out from other wingers and his partnership with inside left
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
Jack Leslie became legendary, as the club challenged for promotion to the 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....
during the 1930s. Nicknamed The Mighty Atom, Black was known to play with a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
stub tucked behind his ear. He ended his career with Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
and returned to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
during the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to work in the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
Royal Naval Armaments Depot
A Royal Naval Armament Depot was a group of armament depots dedicated to supplying the needs of the Royal Navy as well as the Royal Air Force, British Army and foreign/commonwealth governments; they were sister depots of Royal Naval Cordite Factories, Royal Naval Torpedo and Royal Naval Mine Depots...
. He was inducted into the Plymouth Argyle Hall of Fame in 2004.
Playing career
Standing at just 5 feet six inches tall, Black was the epitome of what a winger was like in the mid-twentieth century. In those days wingers rarely tracked back. They were not expected to do anything other than terrorise full backs. It was Black's eye for goal that made him stand out from other players in his position. He was comfortable using either foot and many of his goals came from unlikely angles with staggering regularity. He began his career with Kirkintilloch Rob RoyKirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C.
Kirkintilloch Rob Roy Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed The Rabs or The Roy, they were formed in 1878...
, a junior club based in East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire
This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...
. His performances caught the eye of Bob Jack
Bob Jack
Robert "Bob" Jack was a Scottish footballer and manager. An Outside-left by trade, Jack played in Scotland for Alloa Athletic, and in England for Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, Glossop, Plymouth Argyle and Southend United in a career spanning almost twenty-years...
, a fellow Scot who was manager of 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...
. Black joined the club in 1924 and scored on his Football League debut in a 7–1 win against Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
. His skill on the ball and goalscoring ability made him a darling of the Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
crowd and he formed a lethal partnership with Jack Leslie; they scored 320 goals between them in all competitions for Argyle. When rumours of interest from other club's surfaced, a Sammy Must Not Go! campaign sparked demonstrations and public meetings; Black was destined to remain as Argyle's talisman
Talisman
Talisman have several meanings:*TalismanBooks and novels* The Talisman , a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott* The Talisman , a novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub...
.
His last match for the club in January 1938, with Bob Jack still in charge of first team selection but due to retire at the end of the 1937–38 season. Black then joined Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, having scored 182 goals in 491 appearances for the club. His stay at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
was ended abruptly by the outbreak of war and he returned to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
having made just five league appearances. To mark Plymouth Argyle's 100th year as a professional club, the club's supporters were asked to vote on who they thought were the best to have represented Argyle during that time. Black was included alongside twelve other people, but he was the only one who played before the war.
Personal life
Black returned to PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
when his playing career was brought to an end to work in the Royal Naval Armaments Depot
Royal Naval Armaments Depot
A Royal Naval Armament Depot was a group of armament depots dedicated to supplying the needs of the Royal Navy as well as the Royal Air Force, British Army and foreign/commonwealth governments; they were sister depots of Royal Naval Cordite Factories, Royal Naval Torpedo and Royal Naval Mine Depots...
at HMNB Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
as a storehouse assistant. He continued to live in the city after hostilities had ceased and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal in 1966 for his contribution to the depot. He died in 1977.
Honours
Plymouth Argyle- Football League Third Division SouthFootball League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
: 1929–30
Individiual
- Imperial Service MedalImperial Service OrderThe Imperial Service Order was established by King Edward VII in August 1902. It was awarded on retirement to the administration and clerical staff of the Civil Service throughout the British Empire for long and meritorious service. Normally a person must have served for 25 years to become...
: 1966 - Plymouth Argyle Hall of FamePlymouth 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...
: 2004 - Plymouth Argyle Team of the CenturyPlymouth 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...
: 2004
Career statistics
| Season | Club | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1924–25 | 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... |
Third Division South Football League Third Division South The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958.... |
38 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 13 |
| 1925–26 | 38 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 19 | ||
| 1926–27 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 10 | ||
| 1927–28 | 29 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 16 | ||
| 1928–29 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 45 | 13 | ||
| 1929–30 | 37 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 41 | 24 | ||
| 1930–31 | 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... |
42 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 19 | |
| 1931–32 | 35 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 14 | ||
| 1932–33 | 41 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 13 | ||
| 1933–34 | 41 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 12 | ||
| 1934–35 | 34 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 8 | ||
| 1935–36 | 37 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 16 | ||
| 1936–37 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | ||
| 1937–38 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 470 | 174 | 21 | 8 | 491 | 182 | ||
| 1937–38 | Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
Third Division South Football League Third Division South The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958.... |
— | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1938–39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||