Malcolm Sampson

Malcolm "Mal" Sampson (12 March 1940 – 10 October 2012 (aged 72)) was a professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, playing at club level for Wakefield Trinity (twice) (Heritage #660), Hull, and Bramley, as a Prop, i.e. number 8 or 10, during the era of contested scrums.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Mal Sampson played Right-Prop, i.e. number 10, and scored the first try in Wakefield Trinity's 25-10 victory over Wigan in the 1963 Challenge Cup final during the 1962–63 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492.

Club career

Mal Sampson signed for Wakefield Trinity Juniors (under 17s) in 1956, and made his début for Wakefield Trinity in the 31-6 victory over Huddersfield at Belle Vue, Wakefield in November 1959, his third game came in the 20-10 victory over the 1959 Australian Kangaroo Tourists at Belle View, Wakefield. He had played 24 successive matches up to April 1960 when he was involved in a car crash in which he suffered a badly broken arm, he consequently missed the 1959–60 Challenge Cup final (being replaced by Leslie Chamberlain) and the possibility to play for Great Britain in the 1960 Rugby League World Cup (Great Britain's World Cup Props were; Brian McTigue (Wigan) and colleague Jack Wilkinson (Wakefield Trinity), complications to the broken arm meant he eventually made his comeback some 2½ years later, in November 1962 against Widnes at Naughton Park, Widnes, he finished the 1962–63 season with a try in the Challenge Cup final, and is still the only Wakefield Trinity Forward to score a try at Wembley, he became Wakefield Trinity's first ever league substitute against Halifax, at Thrum Hall, Halifax in September 1964, he had a four-game loan period at Hull in the 1965–66 season, his final Wakefield Trinity match was against York at Belle View, Wakefield in November 1966, after which he signed for Bramley.

Mal Sampson was the brother of the rugby league footballer and coach David Sampson, and uncle of the sprinter Denise Ramsden, rugby league footballer Dean Sampson, and rugby union and rugby league footballer Paul Sampson.