Biography
The archetypal big and powerful centre back, Yorkshireman Collins signed for City in November 2005, initially on loan with a permanent move to follow in January 2006. He slotted into the first team and performed adequately, but in truth his skills and pace were such that he struggled to make the step up to Championship football. After a string of nasty injuries, a loan spell at League One side Swindon Town in September 2007 that yielded four appearances, then a solitary swansong appearance for the Tigers in the FA Cup, Collins moved on in January 2008.
Samuel Jason Collins hailed from Pontefract and played for Huddersfield Town’s feeder junior club Hemsworth Terriers before joining Town’s youth team in the summer of 1993. He progressed quickly and signed his first professional contract in July 1994 but had to wait two more years for his first taste of senior football, his debut coming in a September 1996 League Division 1 match against Tranmere Rovers. After sporadic appearances over the next 18 months Sam had a spell as first team regular for the Terriers between March 1998 and October 1998, but was then in and out of the Town side for the remainder of the 1998/99 season. By May 1999 Collins had made 47 appearances for Huddersfield Town.
In July 1999 League Division 2 side Bury paid £75,000 to sign Collins, injury reduced his game time in his first season but he was a regular starter for the next two years. In May 2002 Bury were relegated to League Division 2 and Collins left shortly after, having scored two goals in 90 appearances. He signed for League Division 2 rivals Port Vale in June 2002 and for three and a bit seasons he was a first team regular for Brian Horton’s side as the Valiants drifted around the third tier. When he left Port Vale to sign for the Tigers in November 2005 he had scored 11 goals in 149 appearances.
Collins left the Tigers and signed for League One side Hartlepool United in January 2008, commencing the final ten years of his playing career that encompassed relegation to League Two in 2013 and three spells as caretaker manager. He scored six goals in 269 senior appearances before hanging up his boots in May 2015 as the club were relegated to the Conference National League.
Before hanging up his boots Collins was appointed Hartlepool’s reserve team manager in May 2014, he was twice elevated to caretaker first team manager during the first three months of the 2014/15 season. He stayed with the club for three more years and was again briefly appointed the caretaker first team manager in January 2017. In July 2017 Collins left Hartlepool to become Professional Development Coach at Bradford City then a year later in July 2018 he was appointed youth team manager at National League North side York City. A month later he was appointed York City’s caretaker first team manager, a role that was made permanent in October 2018. Alas the Minstermen’s early form under Collins faded and he was dismissed in January 2019.
Sam spent the 2019/20 season working as youth development phase coach at Barnsley, then in August 2020 he was appointed to a similar role at League Two side Mansfield Town, rising to Professional Development Phase Coach in July 2021. Collins left the Stags in June 2023 and in October 2023 he returned to Barnsley where he was appointed to the name badge-defying role of Senior Professional Development Phase Transitional Coach, quickly being promoted to the role of Head of Academy Coaching ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 5 June 1977, Pontefract
Hull City First Game: 5 November 2005, Watford H (Championship), 28 years, 153 days old
Hull City Final Game: 5 January 2008, Plymouth Argyle A (FA Cup Third Round), 30 years, 214 days old
Clubs
Huddersfield Town (1994-1999), Bury (1999-2002), Port Vale (2002-2006), Hull City (2005-2006, loan), Hull City (2006-2008), Swindon Town (2007, loan), Hartlepool United (2008-2015)
Hull City Record
Career: 27 apps, 0 goals
Sam Collins| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 | 17 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2006/07 | 6 (0) | 0 | – | – | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |