Sammy Wilson Obituary, Obituary, Glenavon, based in Lurgan, was the first club he played for after turning professional. Prior to that, he had already established a reputation for himself by representing Northern Ireland at the Youth and B International levels. It was at Glenavon that he made the transition from playing on the outside right to playing in the middle of the field, and he hasn’t looked back since. While playing for Glenavon, he was awarded multiple Irish League caps and won winners’ medals in the Irish League as well as significant cup competitions.
He was an integral part of the Glenavon team that won the treble in 1956–1957, which included victories in the Irish League, the Irish Cup, and the Gold Cup. Alex McCrae, the manager of the Bairns, was familiar with the Northern Ireland scene from his time spent as a player-manager with Ballymena United, and he recognized the potential that the player possessed. After arriving in Brockville, Sammy quickly won over the affection of both his new teammates and the local fans with his straightforward play.
He scored a goal in his first game, which was a 2-0 victory over St. Mirren at home. Together with Hughie Maxwell, they developed a strong understanding that helped them finish tied for first place in the league in scoring with 17 goals apiece. It was astonishing to see what he brought home from only twenty-five league games. He scored a goal for Northern Ireland on his second game for his country, which was a 2-1 win against Scotland at Windsor Park. He also scored twice against England at Wembley, which resulted in a significant 8-3 triumph for Alf Ramsey’s side.
The 1964–1965 season was marred by injuries, and as a result, he was unable to play in 14 league games. He was a member of the team that defeated Jock Stein’s Celtic by a score of 6-2 and scored one of the game’s goals. It was decided that the 1965–1966 season would be his final one with Falkirk, and he made his farewell appearance in a 3-0 loss to Motherwell at Firs Park.
On March 1, 1966, Sammy made the move to Dundee, where he signed with manager Bobby Ancell for a sum that was rumored to be somewhere about fifteen thousand pounds. He received a medal for finishing in second place in the Scottish League Cup while playing for Dundee. Following his stint at Dens, he moved back to Ireland and signed a contract with Coleraine, whose manager at the time was Bertie Peacock. His successful international career led to him earning a total of twelve caps for his country, seven of which came while he was playing for Falkirk.
In 1963, he played for the Bairns in matches against Scotland and Spain, and the following year, he played for the Bairns in matches against Wales, Uruguay, England, and Switzerland. He was responsible for seven of Northern Ireland’s total goals scored. After Sammy retired, he moved back to his hometown of Dromore, where he started working as a farmer, an auctioneer, and an estate agent. Sammy paid his hometown of Falkirk and the surrounding area one final visit during which he was a well-received guest at The Hall of Fame Dinner held at The Inchyra Grange Hotel and spoke fondly of his time spent at Brockville.