Craig turns back Tyne
Axed Black Cats coach returns to north east
CRAIG SAMSON is hoping to turn Tyne-Wear tears into cheers as he prepares for a quickfire return to the north east just three months after leaving Sunderland.
The former St Mirren and Kilmarnock No.1 recently landed a goalkeeper coaching role at Rochdale who earned a shock draw against Newcastle to set up a money-spinning FA Cup third-round replay.
That means Samson’s new club will at least be in the hat for tonight’s draw before they attempt to finish off the Magpies in the second clash.
Samson is loving life at the Spotland Stadium where his friendship with Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy opened the door to a return to football after his Stadium of Light exit.
The 35-year-old was part of Jack Ross’ Mackems coaching team before he was harshly sacked and led to the departure of Samson, James Fowler and John Potter.
Ross then took over at Hibs and appointed Potter as his assistant while Fowler took up the head of football operations role at former club Kilmarnock.
Samson was on the lookout for work and was considering pulling on the boots again until the Rochdale opportunity came up and the League One side were in dreamland on Saturday.
The romance of the fading FA Cup was alive and kicking in Greater Manchester as 40-yearold Aaron Wilbraham outshone £40million man Joelinton.
Wilbraham pounced late on to convert 17-year-old and fellow sub Luke Matheson’s cross to cancel out Almiron’s opener for the Premier League side.
Samson could also be proud of on-loan Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez with the Spaniard producing fine saves to keep the side 49 places above them in English football’s ladder at bay.
And it means Samson will head back to the north east of England, just 15 miles from the Stadium of Light.
He said: “It’s mad how football works sometimes and on a personal level to have left Sunderland and now be going to play Newcastle is funny.
“There’s always highs and lows in football but it’s about grasping opportunities and hopefully we can go and win the replay. For a 17-year-old boy to come on and set up the equaliser for a 40-year-old is the story of the FA Cup isn’t it?
“We felt hard done by at Sunderland and believed we could have taken the club on but when Jack left we felt it was right for us all to go.
“John and I worked with Phil Parkinson for a few weeks but he was always going to want to bring in his own goalkeeping coach and John got the chance to go with Jack at Hibs.
“I’d considered going back playing if no coaching roles had come up but thankfully a chance came at Rochdale.
“I’d gone home for six weeks after leaving Sunderland when Brian phoned. After speaking to my family I decided to go down and help him out.
“It meant being away over Christmas time which was quite difficult but it was a great opportunity and I’ve been doing a bit of travelling up and down.
“It’s been good for me to see different ways they do things and him and his staff are different class the way they go about their business and it’s been good to be a part of that.” Samson featured once in the FA Cup as a player during a season at Hereford but they lost in a first-round replay against Dagenham & Redbridge in 2008.
He will be hoping for better luck this time around and said: “The first half of the game against Newcastle was real backs to the wall and a shock to the system in terms of how they went about it.
“But the manager had words at half-time and determined how he wanted to play and the boys were brilliant in the second half.
“Aaron told the manager during the week he would score and he was true to his word. We know how difficult the replay will be against a Premier League player with top players but we won’t go to Newcastle to make up the numbers.
“It was a brilliant afternoon and it’s been great for me to be involved. It will be a big day for the players at St James’ Park.”
A 17-year-old coming on to set up a 40-year-old is the story of the Cup
CRAIG SAMSON