Ashley George Sammons (born 10 November 1991) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Evesham United.

Ashley Sammons
Sammons playing for Solihull Moors in 2017
Personal information
Full name Ashley George Sammons[1]
Date of birth (1991-11-10) 10 November 1991 (age 32)[2]
Place of birth Solihull, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Evesham United
Youth career
–2008 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 Birmingham City 0 (0)
2012 Hereford United 9 (1)
2012–2013 Worcester City 2 (0)
2013 Redditch United 7 (2)
2013 Worcester City 2 (0)
2013–2015 Redditch United 76 (30)
2015 Corby Town 14 (7)
2015–2016 Redditch United 31 (11)
2016–2017 Hednesford Town
2017–2018 Solihull Moors 14 (0)
2017–2018 Redditch United[a]
2018–2020 Rushall Olympic
2020– Stratford Town
2023– Evesham United
International career
2007 England U17 3 (0)

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 February 2019

  1. ^ Initially joined on dual registration

Sammons began his career with Birmingham City, for whom he made only one appearance, in the League Cup. He moved into non-league football with Hereford United, Worcester City, Redditch United (three spells), Corby Town and Hednesford Town before joining National League club Solihull Moors in 2017. He then joined Redditch for a fourth time, initially on a dual registration, in November 2017, and left Moors in January 2018.

He represented his country at under-17 level.

Club career

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Sammons joined Birmingham City's youth academy after being spotted playing for his local under-10s team.[3] He progressed through the academy teams, playing for the under-18s while still a schoolboy,[4] 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.[5] In November 2008 Sammons signed his first professional contract, to expire in the summer of 2011.[3] 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.[6] 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.[7]

Though included in the squads for pre-season friendlies,[8] he did not initially receive a squad number for the 2009–10 season.[9] 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",[10] Sammons told the Birmingham Mail that he disagreed, feeling that he, Jordon Mutch and Mitchell McPike were all capable of playing first-team football.[11] Three weeks later he was named on the bench for the Premier League match at Hull City, but again remained unused.[12] He made his first-team debut in the starting eleven for the League Cup third-round match at Sunderland on 22 September 2009.[13] McLeish described 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.[14]

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.[15] He was released when that contract expired at the end of the 2011–12 season.[16]

On 10 August 2012, Sammons signed for Football Conference club Hereford United.[17] He was released by Hereford on 8 October 2012 after making nine appearances and scoring one goal.[18]

Sammons then joined Conference North club Worcester City on 27 December 2012.[19] After a short stay with Worcester City, Sammons left to join Redditch United in March 2013. Sammons left Redditch United in June 2015 for National League club Corby Town,[20] but returned to Redditch in November.[21]

Sammons signed for Hednesford Town on 21 May 2016.[22] He left the Pitmen in January 2017, reuniting with his former boss Liam McDonald at Solihull Moors.[23] He then joined Redditch for a fourth time, initially on a dual registration, in November 2017,[24] and left Moors in January 2018.[25]

On 3 July 2018, Sammons completed a move to Southern League Premier Central club Rushall Olympic on a one-year deal, and again was reunited with his manager at Redditch United and Solihull Moors, Liam McDonald.[26]

In March 2023, he joined Southern League Division One South side Evesham United.[27]

International career

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As a 15-year-old, Sammons played three matches for the England under-17 team in the 2007 Nordic Tournament, against their Icelandic, Finnish and Swedish counterparts.[28]

Personal life

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Sammons was born to Bryan and Kim Sammons in Solihull where he attended Langley School.[3] His older brother Greg played rugby union for Leicester Tigers.[29]

Honours

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Birmingham City

References

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  1. ^ "Premier League clubs submit squad lists" (PDF). Premier League. 1 February 2011. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Player Profiles". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  3. ^ a b c "Sammons' leap forward". Birmingham City F.C. 14 November 2008. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Terry's end of term report". Birmingham City F.C. June 2007. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Birmingham Senior Cup – Birmingham City 5 Burton Albion 0". Birmingham Mail. 8 April 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Birmingham 0 Wolverhampton 2". Birmingham City F.C. 13 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Dalla Valle double downs Birmingham". The Football Association (The FA). 24 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Cheltenham Town 0 Birmingham City 4". Gloucestershire Echo. 2 August 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2017.[permanent dead link]
    Tattum, Colin (10 August 2009). "Birmingham City 0 Sporting Gijon 0". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Squad numbers announced". Birmingham City F.C. 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 August 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Team news For Carling Cup-tie". Birmingham City F.C. 25 August 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  11. ^ Walker, Andy (29 August 2009). "Ashley Sammons in plea for place in Birmingham City first team". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  12. ^ Walker, Andy (21 September 2009). "Hull City 0 Birmingham City 1 – Post analysis". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Sunderland 0–0 Birmingham". BBC Sport. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  14. ^ "Sammons in-line to make debut". Birmingham City F.C. 22 September 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  15. ^ "Sammons leap of faith". Birmingham City F.C. 27 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  16. ^ "Murphy's deal extended". Birmingham City F.C. 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Hereford United sign Ashley Sammons and Tom Nichols". BBC Sport. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Bulls release Sammons". Hereford United F.C. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  19. ^ Whitney, Steve (28 December 2012). "Sammons handed City chance". Pitchero Non League. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Sammons join Steelmen but Morley is set to leave". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  21. ^ McKinney, Peter (4 November 2015). "Goal-machine Ashley Sammons in Redditch United return". Redditch Advertiser. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Sammons arrives at Keys Park". Hednesford Town F.C. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Solihull Moors: Kristian Green & Ashley Sammons join National League club". BBC Sport. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Ashley Sammons signs for Redditch United". Solihull Moors F.C. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  25. ^ Whitney, Steve (3 January 2018). "Trio leave Moors – but Kelleher stays for longer". Pitchero Non-League. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  26. ^ "PICS SECURE SAMMONS SIGNING". Rushall Olympic Official Website. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  27. ^ "Trio added to Evesham group". Southern Football League. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Ice cool Donaldson". The FA. 30 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
    "Sheldon's fine finish". The FA. 31 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
    "U17s miss out on final". The FA. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  29. ^ Tattum, Colin (14 March 2009). "Ashley Sammons in brotherly sporting rivalry". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
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