Sammy Nelson
{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Sammy Nelson
| image =
| fullname = Samuel Nelson
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|mf=yes|1949|4|1}}
| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland
| height = {{height|m=1.78|precision=0}}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00roll |url-access=registration |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81 |publisher=Macdonald Futura Publishers |year=1980 |isbn=0362020175 |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00roll/page/50 50]}}
| position = Left-back
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1966–1981 | clubs1 = Arsenal | caps1 = 255 | goals1 = 10
| years2 = 1981–1983 | clubs2 = Brighton & Hove Albion | caps2 = 40 | goals2 = 1
| totalcaps = 295 | totalgoals = 11
| nationalyears1 = 1970–1982
| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland
| nationalcaps1 = 51
| nationalgoals1 = 1
}}
Samuel Nelson (born 1 April 1949) is a former footballer who played as a left back in the Football League for Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. He was capped 51 times for Northern Ireland and played at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
=Arsenal=
Nelson was born in Belfast where he attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, a rugby-playing school.{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/features/20160428/sammy-nelson |title=Defining moments: Sammy Nelson |first=Max |last=Jones |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=28 April 2016 |accessdate=9 November 2017}} He joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old, and turned professional on his 17th birthday in 1966.{{cite book |first=Jeff |last=Harris |editor-first=Tony |editor-last=Hogg |title=Arsenal Who's Who |publisher=Independent UK Sports |location=London |date=1995 |page=206 |isbn=978-1-899429-03-5}} Originally a left-winger, he was later moved back into defence to become a left back. Nelson played in the 1966 FA Youth Cup final in which Arsenal beat Sunderland 5–3 over two legs.{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/academy/honours |title=Academy honours |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=1 June 2017 |accessdate=9 November 2017}}
He was a regular in Arsenal's reserve side for several seasons, before making his first-team debut against Ipswich Town on 25 October 1969. He was an understudy to the Gunners' established left back, Bob McNab, and only when McNab was injured in the 1971–72 season did Nelson become a regular. Even then, whenever McNab returned to fitness, Nelson was forced to step down. He made two appearances in Arsenal's successful 1969–70 Fairs Cup campaign but played no part in the final itself, and his four league matches during the 1970–71 Double-winning season were not sufficient for a medal.{{cite web |url=http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/stat/aftlu.htm |title=Arsenal first team line-ups |first=Andy |last=Kelly |website=The Arsenal History |accessdate=9 November 2017}} Select season required.
McNab left Arsenal in the summer of 1975,{{cite book |first=Jeff |last=Harris |editor-first=Tony |editor-last=Hogg |title=Arsenal Who's Who |page=199}} and Nelson finally became Arsenal's first-choice left back. An aggressive, hard-tackling player, he was a crowd favourite and known for his cheeky sense of humour.{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/history/gunners-greatest-players-35.-sammy-nelson |title=Greatest 50 Players – 35. Sammy Nelson |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=1 June 2017 |accessdate=9 November 2017}} For the next five seasons he was a near ever-present in the Arsenal side, and he played in all three of their successive FA Cup finals, in the starting eleven in 1978 and 1979 and as a substitute in 1980. The only win was in 1979, in which Arsenal beat Manchester United by a 3–2 scoreline. Nelson also played in the 1980 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, which Arsenal lost to Valencia on penalties.{{cite web |url=http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/history/season%3D1979/intro.html |title=1979/80: Valencia hold nerve for shoot-out success |publisher=UEFA |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100503064822/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/history/season%3D1979/intro.html |archivedate=3 May 2010}}
With the arrival of England international Kenny Sansom at the club in 1980, Nelson again found himself out of the first team. He left Arsenal in 1981 to join Brighton & Hove Albion. He played 339 first-class matches for the Gunners in total, and scored 12 goals.
=Brighton & Hove Albion=
Nelson made 45 appearances in all competitions in his two seasons with Brighton.{{cite web |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/brighton-hove-albion-fc/sammy-nelson-10222/league-appearances_a36900/ |title=Sammy Nelson Brighton & Hove Abion FC |website=Sporting Heroes |accessdate=9 November 2017}} In the second, 1982–83, they were relegated from the First Division but reached the 1983 FA Cup Final, losing to Manchester United 4–0 in a replay after the original match finished 2–2;{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2017/may/25/brighton-top-flight-fa-cup-final |title=When Brighton last played in the top flight – and the FA Cup final – 34 years ago |first=Steven |last=Pye |website=The Guardian |date=25 May 2017 |accessdate=9 November 2017}} Nelson was not selected for either match.{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engcuphistfinal.html |title=England – FA Cup Finals 1946–2000 |first=Didier |last=Fort |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |date=15 February 2006 |accessdate=9 November 2017}} He retired as a player that summer.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/where-are-they-now-sammy-nelson-1432461.html |title=Where are they now?: Sammy Nelson |first=Jon |last=Culley |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=28 March 1994 |accessdate=9 November 2017}}
International career
Nelson made his debut for Northern Ireland as a substitute against England on 21 April 1970. He went on to win 51 international caps, two of which came in Northern Ireland's matches at the 1982 World Cup.{{cite web |url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/northern-ireland/sammy-nelson-10222/northern-ireland-caps-1970-82_a25572/ |title=Sammy Nelson Northern Ireland |website=Sporting Heroes |accessdate=9 November 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=55044/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513234339/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=55044/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 May 2008 |title=Sammy Nelson: Profile |publisher=FIFA |accessdate=9 November 2017}}
Later career and personal life
After spending a season as a coach at Brighton & Hove Albion, Nelson left the game completely and went into the insurance industry. He has also led the "Legends Tour" at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.{{cite news |url=http://eastlondonnews.co.uk/emirates-stadium-tour/ |title=Emirates Stadium Tour |first=Emdad |last=Rahman |newspaper=East London News |date=28 February 2012 |accessdate=9 November 2017}}
Nelson is married with three children. His daughter Emily is married to English cricketer Matt Prior.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/matt-prior-i-was-public-enemy-no-1-i-hope-people-warm-to-me-now-2040762.html |title=Matt Prior: 'I was public enemy No 1... I hope people warm to me now' |first=Stephen |last=Brenkley |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=31 July 2010 |accessdate=9 November 2017}}
Honours
Arsenal
References
{{reflist}}
{{Northern Ireland Squad 1982 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Sammy}}
Category:Association footballers from Belfast
Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players
Category:English Football League players