Downing Sam Image 3 Chelsea 1910

Description

Willesden Green born wing half Sam Downing played amateur football with Willesden Green in 1898 and Willesden Town in 1899, joining Park Royal in 1900 and West Hampstead in 1901. He joined Southern League Queen’s Park Rangers in 1903 making 20 appearances in his debut season for Rangers, and staying 6 seasons during which time he won a Southern League Championship medal with Queens Park Rangers in 1907-08, playing 32 games in the campaign.He played in both games in the first ever Charity Shield when, as Southern League Champions, Queen’s Park Rangers drew 1-1 with Manchester United (the Football League Champions) at Stamford Bridge on 8th April 1908, with Manchester United winning the replay, also at Stamford Bridge, 4-0 on 8th August 1908.

By the time he joined First Division Chelsea in April 1909 he had scored 13 goals in 168 appearances for Rangers. He played 5 full seasons at Stamford Bridge and although Chelsea were relegated in his first full season (1909-10), he played 30 times as they were promoted in 1911-12, and by the time he joined Croydon Common in the close season of 1914 he’d scored 10 goals in 144 appearances for The Pensioners. His Croydon career was cut short by the First World War, making 24 appearances, scoring once, in 1914-15 before retiring.