Sammy Meston
Encyclopedia
Samuel William Meston was a professional footballer
who played as a winger for Tranmere Rovers
as well as for Southampton
, Gillingham
and Everton
.
and was a coppersmith
by trade. He joined Southampton in January 1922 and made his debut at home to Merthyr Town
on 8 April as a centre-forward
in place of the injured Bill Rawlings
. He made a solitary appearance the following season
before converting to the right-wing position. He started the 1923–24 season
on the wing in place of Charlie Brown
and scored twice in his third match at home to Bury
on 1 September 1923. He was just beginning to establish himself and was looking capable of emulating his father's career when his career was interrupted by a broken leg sustained in a match against Bristol City
on 6 October. The injury kept him out for a year but, before he could get back into the first team, he broke the same leg again. Although he fully recovered from his injuries, he was never the same player again and after one final come-back match (against Chelsea
on 5 April 1926) he moved to Gillingham
.
He spent two seasons with Gillingham in the Third Division South
before, rather surprisingly, joining First Division
Everton
in March 1928. He only managed one game for Everton in their 1927–28 championship season (where he played alongside the legendary Dixie Dean
) before crossing the Mersey
in July 1929 to join Tranmere Rovers
in the Third Division North
. After three seasons at Prenton Park
he returned south in 1931.
He turned out occasionally for Newport (Isle of Wight), but took up employment as a "bookie
's runner" before he died of a heart attack
in October 1953 aged 51.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played as a winger for Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
as well as for 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...
, Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Playing career
He was the son of a former Southampton player Samuel MestonSamuel Meston
Samuel Meston was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a half-back for Stoke and Southampton. Whilst with Southampton, he appeared in two FA Cup Finals and won six Southern League championship medals and was the only player ever to do so.-Playing career:Meston was born in Arbroath and...
and was a coppersmith
Coppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
by trade. He joined Southampton in January 1922 and made his debut at home to Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
on 8 April as a centre-forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
in place of the injured Bill Rawlings
Bill Rawlings
William Ernest "Bill" Rawlings was an English footballer.-Playing career:Rawlings' career started in 1918 with Southampton, he stayed ten years with the club, from 1918 to 1928. His 193 goals places him third on the club's list of all-time goalscorers, behind Mick Channon and Matthew Le Tissier...
. He made a solitary appearance the following season
1922-23 in English football
The 1922–23 season was the 48th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Liverpool retained the First Division title, but halfway through the season their manager David Ashworth left the club to take over at Oldham Athletic, who ended the season relegated.-Honours:Notes = Number in...
before converting to the right-wing position. He started the 1923–24 season
1923-24 in English football
The 1923–24 season was the 49th season of competitive football in England.-Events:*On 11 November 1923, Aston Villa centre-half Tommy Ball was shot dead by his neighbour, thus becoming the only Football League player to have been murdered.-Honours:...
on the wing in place of Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown (footballer)
Charles "Charlie" Brown was an English footballer who played at outside-right for Southampton and Queens Park Rangers in the 1920s.-Football career:...
and scored twice in his third match at home to Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
on 1 September 1923. He was just beginning to establish himself and was looking capable of emulating his father's career when his career was interrupted by a broken leg sustained in a match against Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on 6 October. The injury kept him out for a year but, before he could get back into the first team, he broke the same leg again. Although he fully recovered from his injuries, he was never the same player again and after one final come-back match (against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 5 April 1926) he moved to Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
.
He spent two seasons with Gillingham in the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
before, rather surprisingly, joining First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in March 1928. He only managed one game for Everton in their 1927–28 championship season (where he played alongside the legendary Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
) before crossing the Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
in July 1929 to join Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in the Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
. After three seasons at Prenton Park
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is an association football stadium in Birkenhead, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C. The club moved to the current Prenton Park in 1912. The ground has had several rebuilds, with the most recent occurring in 1995 in response to the requirement of the Taylor Report...
he returned south in 1931.
He turned out occasionally for Newport (Isle of Wight), but took up employment as a "bookie
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
's runner" before he died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in October 1953 aged 51.