{{short description|Scottish footballer (1883–1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Sam Shearer | image = | fullname = Samuel Bridgman Shearer | birth_date = {{birth date|1883|12|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Coylton, Scotland | death_date = {{death date and age|1971|09|05|1883|12|29|df=y}} | death_place = Pittsburgh, PA, USA | height = | position = Inside-forward | currentclub = | youthyears1 = – | youthclubs1 = Trabboch | years1 = 1908–1910 | clubs1 = Southampton | caps1 = 17 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1910–1912 | clubs2 = Nithsdale Wanderers | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1912–1913 | clubs3 = Bradford Park Avenue | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = }} '''Samuel Bridgman Shearer''' (29 December 1883 – 5 September 1971) was a Scottish footballer who played at inside-forward for Southampton and Bradford Park Avenue in the early 20th century.
==Football career== Shearer was born in Coylton in South Ayrshire and started his football career in Scottish Junior Football with Trabboch before being invited for a trial at Southampton in the summer of 1908. He showed "''considerable promise''" in the trial matches and was rewarded with a professional contract.<ref name = "ABC">{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan |last2= Chalk|first2= Gary| publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing | year=1992| isbn=0-9514862-3-3|page=303}}</ref>
He made his debut for the "Saints" in the opening match of the 1908–09 Southern League season, a 3–1 draw at Brighton, but after four appearances, he lost his place to Frank Jordan in mid-September. Described as "''naturally skillful''", Shearer was able to keep the ball close to his feet and as a result incurred regular kicks and bruises to his ankles, but his individuality was never properly exploited by his team-mates.<ref name = "ABC"/> For the remainder of the season, Shearer was in-and-out of the side making a total of eleven appearances, mainly at inside-left, but also at inside-right and on the left wing.<ref>{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|last= Chalk|first= Gary|last2=Holley|first2= Duncan | publisher= Breedon Books| year=1987| isbn= 0-907969-22-4|pages=44–45}}</ref>
In the summer of 1909, Saints signed Sam Brittleton who took over at inside-left, before losing out in turn to Bob Carter. Shearer was then third-choice for the inside-left berth, and it was only in the last month of the season that he made a sustained run in the side with five first-team appearances.<ref>{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|pages=46–47}}</ref>
He returned to Scotland in the summer of 1910 to join Nithsdale Wanderers of Dumfries, before returning to England with Bradford Park Avenue in December 1912.<ref name = "ABC"/> After making only one league appearance for Bradford, Shearer retired in 1913, then immigrating to America.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shearer, Sam}} Category:1883 births Category:Footballers from South Ayrshire Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Nithsdale Wanderers F.C. players Category:Southampton F.C. players Category:Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Southern Football League players Category:1971 deaths Category:People from Coylton