Ashley Sammons
Encyclopedia
Ashley George Sammons is an English
footballer who plays as a midfielder
for Birmingham City
. He made his first-team debut in the League Cup
in September 2009. He has represented his country at under-17
level.
where he attended Langley School. His older brother Greg
plays rugby union
for Leicester Tigers
.
youth academy
after being spotted playing for his local under-10s team. He progressed through the academy teams, playing for the under-18s while still a schoolboy, and was in the starting eleven for the 5–0 victory over Burton Albion
in the final of the Birmingham Senior Cup
; though nominally a reserve team
, several first-team players were included. In November 2008 Sammons signed his first professional
contract, to expire in the summer of 2011. He was given a squad number
and included among the substitutes for the FA Cup
match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
in January 2009, but remained unused. He captained the under-18 team to the semi-final of the 2008–09 FA Youth Cup, in which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to their Liverpool
counterparts; Sammons scored Birmingham's goal, "curling a 30-yard shot" past the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Though included in the squads for pre-season friendlies
, he did not initially receive a squad number for the 2009–10 season. After manager Alex McLeish
named only six of the permitted seven substitutes for the League Cup
match at Southampton
, because they "could fill the squad with younger players that have just stepped up from the Academy but they're not ready", Sammons told the Birmingham Mail
that he disagreed, feeling that he, Jordon Mutch
and Mitchell McPike were all capable of playing first-team football. Three weeks later he was named on the bench for the Premier League match at Hull City
, but again remained unused. He made his first-team debut in the starting eleven for the League Cup third-round match at Sunderland
on 22 September 2009, McLeish describing the player as "a disciplined passer of the ball [who's] got good energy", stressing that although he didn't "just want to throw young players jerseys every time we have an injury crisis", in this case it was deserved.
He made no further first-team appearances before a knee injury disrupted his 2010–11 season, at the end of which he signed a new one-year contract.
in July 2007, aged 15, against their Icelandic
counterparts in the Nordic Tournament.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He made his first-team debut in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in September 2009. He has represented his country at under-17
England national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
level.
Personal life
Sammons was born in SolihullSolihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
where he attended Langley School. His older brother Greg
Greg Sammons
Greg Sammons is an English rugby union hooker. He joined Leicester's senior squad in the 2008–2009 season from the academy.He initially joined the academy as a back rower before moving to the front row....
plays rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
.
Club career
Sammons joined Birmingham City'sBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
youth academy
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy
Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and the youth development system respectively of Birmingham City Football Club. The reserve team, established in 1879, played in the Premier Reserve League South in the 2009–10 season but have not entered a league since...
after being spotted playing for his local under-10s team. He progressed through the academy teams, playing for the under-18s while still a schoolboy, and was in the starting eleven for the 5–0 victory over Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
in the final of the Birmingham Senior Cup
Birmingham Senior Cup
The Birmingham Senior Cup is a football competition for Birmingham County FA club teams, organized by the Birmingham County Football Association...
; though nominally a reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
, several first-team players were included. In November 2008 Sammons signed his first professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
contract, to expire in the summer of 2011. He was given a squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
and included among the substitutes for the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in January 2009, but remained unused. He captained the under-18 team to the semi-final of the 2008–09 FA Youth Cup, in which they lost 6–1 on aggregate to their Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
counterparts; Sammons scored Birmingham's goal, "curling a 30-yard shot" past the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Though included in the squads for pre-season friendlies
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
, he did not initially receive a squad number for the 2009–10 season. After manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
named only six of the permitted seven substitutes for the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, because they "could fill the squad with younger players that have just stepped up from the Academy but they're not ready", Sammons told the Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...
that he disagreed, feeling that he, Jordon Mutch
Jordon Mutch
Jordon James Edward Sydney Mutch is an English footballer who plays for Birmingham City. He plays as a midfielder. Mutch made his first-team debut for Birmingham in the League Cup in August 2008, and made his debut in the Football League while on loan to Hereford United, spending subsequent loan...
and Mitchell McPike were all capable of playing first-team football. Three weeks later he was named on the bench for the Premier League match at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, but again remained unused. He made his first-team debut in the starting eleven for the League Cup third-round match at Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 22 September 2009, McLeish describing the player as "a disciplined passer of the ball [who's] got good energy", stressing that although he didn't "just want to throw young players jerseys every time we have an injury crisis", in this case it was deserved.
He made no further first-team appearances before a knee injury disrupted his 2010–11 season, at the end of which he signed a new one-year contract.
International career
He made his debut for the England under-17 teamEngland national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
in July 2007, aged 15, against their Icelandic
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
counterparts in the Nordic Tournament.
External links
- Profile at Birmingham City F.C.
- The youth team player with more than a hint of David Beckham about him Birmingham Mail article from March 2009