Sam Jennings
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Samuel Jennings | ||
Date of birth | 26 December 1898 | ||
Place of birth | Cinderhill, Nottinghamshire, England | ||
Date of death | 21 August 1944 45) | (aged||
Place of death | Robertsbridge, England | ||
Playing position | Centre-forward | ||
Youth career | |||
Highbury Vale Methodists | |||
Basford United | |||
5th Reserve Battalion Coldstream Guards | |||
Basford National Ordnance Factory | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Appsβ | (Gls)β |
1919β1920 | Norwich City | ||
1920β1921 | Middlesbrough | 10 | (2) |
1921β1924 | Reading | 110 | (45) |
1924β1925 | West Ham United | 9 | (3) |
1925β1928 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 110 | (61) |
1928β1929 | Nottingham Forest | 27 | (15) |
1929β1931 | Port Vale | 63 | (42) |
1931β1932 | Stockport County | 14 | (2) |
1932 | Burnley | 6 | (2) |
1932β1933 | Olympique de Marseille | 14 | (4) |
1933β1934 | Club FranΓ§ais | ||
1934β1935 | Scarborough | ||
1935β1936 | Wisbech Town | ||
Total | 363 | (176) | |
Teams managed | |||
1936β1938 | Glentoran | ||
1937β1938 | Rochdale | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. β Appearances (Goals). |
Samuel "Sam" Jennings (26 December 1898 β 21 August 1944) was an English footballer and football manager. A tall player, he was a goal-scoring centre-forward, with a ratio of a goal every two games.
After playing for various amateur sides, he joined Norwich City in 1919, moving on to Middlesbrough the following year. In 1921 he signed with Reading, where he would make his name over a three year stay with 45 goals in 110 league games. After a season with West Ham United, he signed with Brighton & Hove Albion in 1925. Again prolific, he scored 61 goals in 110 games, and won a transfer to Nottingham Forest in 1928. Moving on to Port Vale in 1929, he bagged 42 goals in 63 league games. In the 1930s he enjoyed short spells at Stockport County and Burnley, before settling in France with Olympique de Marseille and Club Français. He later returned to England to turn out for non-league sides Scarborough and Wisbech Town.
After retiring as a player he took charge at Glentoran in 1936, before taking charge of Rochdale the following year. He also served a coach across France and England.
Playing career
Jennings played for Highbury Vale Methodists, Basford United, 5th Reserve Battalion Coldstream Guards, and Basford National Ordnance Factory, before joining Norwich City in 1919. The "Canaries" finished 12th in the Southern League in 1919β20. He then moved on to Middlesbrough, and scored twice in ten First Division appearances in 1920β21. Jennings then signed with Reading, who went on to finish the 1921β22 campaign 13th in the Third Division South. The "Royals" then dropped to 19th and 18th in 1922β23 and 1923β24. In his three years at Elm Park he scored 45 goals in 110 league games.
He returned to the top-flight with West Ham United, but was limited to three goals in nine games in 1924β25. He quickly returned to the Third Division South with Brighton & Hove Albion, who posted a fifth place finish in 1925β26. He finished as the club's top scorer in 1926β27 and 1927β28 with 20 and 27 goals respectively, as the "Seagulls" finished in fourth position. He spent 1928β29 with Nottingham Forest, and was the club's top scorer in 1928β29 with 17 goals in league and cup competitions.
He joined Port Vale in May 1929 and scored twice on his debut, in a 2β1 win over Halifax Town at The Shay.[1] Building up a successful partnership with Albert Pynegar, he bagged a hat-trick in a 3β0 win over South Shields at The Old Recreation Ground on 8 March 1930.[1] He finished as the club's top scorer for the 1929β30 season with 27 goals in just 33 games, helping the club to the Third Division North title.[1] He scored four goals in a 8β2 thrashing of Bradford Park Avenue on 22 September 1930, and ended up with 17 goals in 32 games in 1930β31 to become club's leading marksman for a second successive campaign.[1] He hit two goals on the opening day of the 1931β32 season, in a 3β1 win over Plymouth Argyle at Home Park.[1] He would train by throwing the ball up the pitch and race his greyhound to where it landed.[2]
He was transferred to Third Division North side Stockport County in September 1931, later returning to the Second Division with Burnley in 1931β32. He then travelled to France for the first ever season of the Ligue de Football Professionnel. He scored four goals in 14 games, as Marseilles finished second behind Olympique Lillois. Jennings moved on to Club FranΓ§ais of Ligue 2, before returning to England to play for Scarborough and Wisbech Town.[3]
Coaching and management career
Jennings became an instructor at Olympique de Marseille during his time at the club. He later became secretary-coach at Wisbech Town and a coach at Glentoran. He was also manager of Rochdale, and led the club to a 17th place finish in the Third Division North in 1937β38.
World War II
He fought in World War II. He died at Darvel Hall in Robertsbridge on 21 August 1944 β he had two bouts of pneumonia which made him prone to chills β and was buried at Hastings crematorium eight days later.
Honours
- with Port Vale
References
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