Sammy Chapman

{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer and manager (1938–2019)}}

{{about|the Northern Irish footballer|the Nottingham Forest footballer|Bob Chapman}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sammy Chapman

| image =

| fullname = Samuel Edward Campbell Chapman

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1938|2|16}}

| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|7|24|1938|2|16|df=yes}}

| death_place = Wombourne, Staffordshire, England

| position = Wing Half

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1953 | youthclubs1 = Manchester United

| years1 = 1953–1955

| years2 = 1955

| years3 = 1955–1956

| years4 = 1956

| years5 = 1956–1958

| years6 = 1958–1961

| years7 = 1961

| years8 = 1961–1964

| years9 = 1965–1966

| clubs1 = Glentoran

| clubs2 = Crusaders

| clubs3 = Glenavon

| clubs4 = Shamrock Rovers

| clubs5 = Mansfield Town

| clubs6 = Portsmouth

| clubs7 = → Benoni United (loan)

| clubs8 = Mansfield Town

| clubs9 = East Rand United

| caps1 = ?

| caps2 = ?

| caps3 = ?

| caps4 = 0

| caps5 = 50

| caps6 = 48

| caps7 =

| caps8 = 105

| caps9 = 13

| goals1 = 5

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 7

| goals4 = 0

| goals5 = 25

| goals6 = 10

| goals7 =

| goals8 = 15

| goals9 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 1957

| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland B

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| manageryears1 = 1985–1986

| managerclubs1 = Wolverhampton Wanderers

}}

Samuel Edward Campbell Chapman (16 February 1938 – 24 July 2019){{cite news|url = https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2019/07/26/tributes-paid-after-former-wolves-boss-sammy-chapman-passes-away/|title = Tributes paid after former Wolves boss Sammy Chapman passes away|work = Express & Star|date = 26 July 2019|accessdate = 26 July 2019|last = Edwards|first = Joe}} was a Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager.

Career

A former youth player with Manchester United, Chapman signed for Glentoran upon returning to Northern Ireland. In the summer of 1955, he moved to Crusaders, but by October had signed for Glenavon.{{cite news|title=Chapman joins Glenavon|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|date=28 October 1955|page=12|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002318/19551028/278/0012}} In July 1956 Chapman joined Shamrock Rovers.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1956/0721/Pg003.html#Ar00317:31E9183F294D35F95536F96F36D9533C496F |title=Register |access-date=June 9, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=The Irish Times |date=1956-07-21 |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie}}

In October 1956 he moved to Mansfield Town without having played a game for the Hoops.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1956/0921/Pg002.html#Ar00201:96C6099B4621 |title=Register |access-date=June 9, 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=The Irish Times |date=1956-09-21 |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie}} He moved to Portsmouth in February 1958. He re-joined Mansfield Town in December 1961.{{cite book

| last = Hugman

| first = Barry J.

| title = The PFA Premier & Football League Player's Records 1946-2005

| pages = 116 }} Having last played professionally in 1963, Chapman was banned from football following a bribes scandal two years later.{{cite web

| title = SAMMY CHAPMAN

| url = http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/sammychapman.html

| publisher = Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database

| accessdate = 2007-08-28}}

The ban signalled the end of Chapman's playing career, although he played a few games for South African club East Rand United. (The ban was ignored by the Apartheid-era South African federation which had been suspended by FIFA.) He eventually returned to the game as a coach with Portsmouth and then Crewe Alexandra. He then served Wolverhampton Wanderers as chief scout, becoming interim manager following the dismissal of Tommy Docherty on 4 July 1985 after a second successive relegation saw Wolves fall into the Third Division. He remained in charge of the first team until Bill McGarry (previously manager of Wolves from 1968 to 1976) returned to manage the club on 4 September 1985.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesackrace.com/teams/wolverhampton-wanderers/|title=Next Wolverhampton Wanderers Manager Odds | Bruno Lage|date=2 June 2021 }} However, McGarry's return as manager lasted just 61 days and he quit on 4 November and Chapman was restored to the manager's seat. However, he was unable to prevent Wolves from suffering a third successive relegation which dragged them into the Fourth Division for the first time in their history. He left on 15 August 1986, just before the start of the 1986-87 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewolvessite.co.uk/managers.htm |title=Wolves Managers from 1885 to Today |accessdate=2013-06-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002192056/http://www.thewolvessite.co.uk/managers.htm |archivedate=2 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}

Chapman was a member of Northern Ireland's 1958 FIFA World Cup squad (though not one of the 17 players that travelled).