Malcolm Sampson scoring for Wakefield Trinity in the Challenge Cup
Final, 1963
(Photo: Rugby Leaguer, May 17th 1963)
St Peters Junior School rugby team, 1950. Teacher Mr. Ramsden (back
left), Headmaster Mr Ward (back right), Malcolm Sampson holding the
ball
(Photo courtesy of Brian Robinson, Stanley History Online)
Bench in honour of Malcolm Sampson
Born on the 12th March 1940,Malcolm was one of
seven children.
Malcolm’s chosen sport was rugby league and he joined
Wakefield Trinity Juniors in 1956, age 16, and made his Wakefield Trinity
debut against Huddersfield in a 31-6 win at Belle Vue with the likes of
Fox, Turner and Vines by his side. In his third game when Trinity beat the
Australian Kangaroo Tourists 20-10 in 1959 he faced the might of the 1959
Kangaroos at Belle Vue - Provan, Rassmussen and the rest. He played 24
successive games upto April 1960 when he was involved in a car crash and
suffered a badly broken arm. He missed the 1959-60 Challenge Cup Final and
the possibility of playing for Great Britain in the 1960 Rugby League
World Cup. Then followed almost three years of hard work as his arm was
slow to heal.
He made his comeback at Widnes in early 1963 just in
time for the cup run and his greatest memory was taking the field at
Wembley and scoring his great try. His tussle with Wigan's international
prop, Brian McTigue was legendary. In a talk with Wakefield Trinity Heritagehe
said that he told everyone he
scored the winning try that day, despite Trinity going into scoring 3 more
in a 25-10 win. If anyone questions him, he says take it up with Derek
Turner as he told him, 'that's the winning try, Young Sammy' as they left
the field. To this day he is the only Trinity forward
to score a try at Wembley. He earned the Wakefield Trinity Heritage number
660.
Malcolm had a four-game loan at Hull FC in 1964-1965.
His last game for Trinity was against York at Belle Vue in November 1966
and he then signed for Bramley along with three other Wakefield players
and played until 1972, a total of 281 games and scored 33 tries, including
appearing in the famous BBC TV Floodlit Final win over Widnes in 1973.
In his life in Stanley,Malcolm was a well-known
builder and a strong supporter of
Stanley Rangers ARLFC. A family man, Malcolm left behind
his wife Avis, daughter Victoria, son Lee and four grandchildren. He was
the uncle of rugby league player Dean Sampson, sprinter Denise Ramsden and
the rugby union and rugby league footballer Paul Sampson.
With grateful thanks to Wakefield Trinity Heritage for supplying the
information for this article
