Quick Facts
Biography
Samuel Ernest "Sammy" Brooks (28 March 1890 – 13 January 1960) was an English footballer who spent the majority of his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He played for the club in the 1921 FA Cup Final. After 13 years with Wolves, he joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1922, and later played for Southend United, Cradley Heath, and Kidderminster Harriers, before retiring in 1927.
Career
Brooks was born in Brierley Hill, and played local non-league football before he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 1909. He eventually made his debut on 11 April 1911, in a goalless draw with Bradford Park Avenue. He made only sporadic appearances in his first few seasons before establishing himself in the 1912–13 season, as Wanderers posted a tenth-place finish in the Second Division. He finished the 1913–14 season as the club's top goalscorer with 11 goals. His best season came in 1914–15 when he missed just one game and scored 18 times, his best seasonal tally; the club pushed for promotion, but ended the campaign in fourth place.
During the war he guested for Birmingham, Port Vale and Coventry City. He won a cap from his country in a Victory International in October 1919 and also represented the Football League against the Irish League. He returned to Molineux after the war, as the club struggled at the foot of the Second Division table in 1919–20 and 1920–21. Despite their poor league form, the club put together a series of results in the FA Cup and went on to reach the final. Brooks won a runners-up medal in the 1921 FA Cup Final after a 1–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge. Their cup run proved to be a flash-in-the-pan, as they exited the cup in the First Round and continued to struggle in the league in 1921–22.
Brooks signed with Tottenham Hotspur in 1922, having scored 53 goals in 246 league and cup appearances in total for Wolves. However he struggled at White Hart Lane, and scored one goal in only ten First Division appearances in the 1922–23 and 1923–24 seasons. He spent the 1924–25 campaign at Southend United, and scored two goals in 12 Third Division South appearances. He soon dropped into non-league with clubs such as Cradley Heath and Kidderminster Harriers, before retiring in 1927.
Statistics
- Sourced from Sammy Brooks profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1910–11 | Second Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 1911–12 | Second Division | 14 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 3 | |
| 1912–13 | Second Division | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 6 | |
| 1913–14 | Second Division | 32 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 11 | |
| 1914–15 | Second Division | 37 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 18 | |
| 1919–20 | Second Division | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 6 | |
| 1920–21 | Second Division | 33 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 41 | 7 | |
| 1921–22 | Second Division | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 224 | 50 | 22 | 3 | 246 | 53 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1922–23 | First Division | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 1923–24 | First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Southend United | 1924–25 | Third Division South | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| Career Total | 246 | 53 | 22 | 3 | 268 | 8 | ||
Honours
- with Wolverhampton Wanderers
- FA Cup runner-up: 1921