Sam Ellis

Ex-Assistant Manager

A former colleague of new Luton Town manager Kevin Blackwell during their time at Leeds United, Sam left his role as first-team coach of Stoke City to re-join Blackwell in a similar role with the Hatters in late March 2007.

Sam Ellis during his spell at Burnley.

Joining Luton Town at the age of 60, Sam brings to Kenilworth Road a wealth of football experience that will undoubtedly be an asset to the Hatters.

As a player, Sam played as a central defender for Sheffield Wednesday during the 1960s, making his debut as a teenager in the 1966 FA Cup final against Everton, a match that his side lost 2-3.  After 155 appearances for the Owls and 1 goal, Sam moved on for spells at three clubs during the 1970s - Mansfield Town (64 appearances, 7 goals), Lincoln City (173 appearances, 33 goals) and the Hatters' arch rivals Watford (30 appearances, 4 goals).  Eventually, after closing the curtain on his playing career, Sam became a coach and then assistant manager to Graham Taylor at Vicarage Road.

It marked arguably Watford's most successful period in their history as Sam and Taylor helped the club climb the divisions.  However, eager to become a manager in his own right, Sam applied for the vacant managerial position at Blackpool in 1982, and he was accepted, becoming the Tangerines boss and leaving Vicarage Road.

He remained in the hot seat at Bloomfield Road for seven years from 1982 - 1989.  He had very little money to spend, and was even forced to sell Colin Greenall, one of his star players, to pay the tax man!  His first season at Bloomfield Road was not a success, finishing in the bottom four of the Football League and thus having to apply for re-election.

However, he soon brought the good times back to the seaside club, finishing 6th in the table just a year later (1983-84) with a side assembled of free transfer signings.  The following season, however, promotion was achieved, with Sam's popularity with the Blackpool fans at an all-time high.  During that period, Sam also signed striker Paul Stewart, who would go on to join Manchester City for £250,000 just two years later and then spend a number of highly successful years in the top flight of English football.  Manchester City, in fact, tried to tempt Sam to Maine Road himself, but he declined the offer.

Ellis, pictured here again during his six years at Burnley.

Unfortunately, the seasons following 1985-86 were disappointing ones for Sam and for Blackpool.  Although the Seasiders started the seasons well, they always faded away and it resulted in the fans love of Sam waning.  With relegation a serious possibility, Sam's contract was terminated by mutual consent in April 1989.

He was swiftly appointed as the new manager of Bury, spending a year at Gigg Lane, where he had a large amount of success, before being tempted to join Peter Reid as assistant manager of Manchester City - some five years after the Maine Road club unsuccessfully tried to lure him away from Blackpool.

After four years with Manchester City, Sam had a brief spell in charge at his former club Lincoln City, before becoming assistant manager to Stan Ternent at Bury in 1995.  He helped the Shakers to promotion to Division One (now known as the Championship) on a limited budget, pipping Luton Town to promotion during the 1996-97 campaign.

He left Bury in 1998, joining Stan Ternent at his new club Burnley, as the two men embarked on a new chapter.  He spent six years at Turf Moor before leaving the club along with Ternent and joining Leeds United in 2004 as assistant manager to Kevin Blackwell.  He spent two years at Elland Road, before leaving the club following Blackwell's sacking as manager.

His next destination was Stoke City, where he worked as a first-team coach, before being tempted to Bedfordshire by Blackwell following his installment as Luton Town manager in March 2007.

Upon arriving at Kenilworth Road, Sam said, "I have decided to move to Luton, but only after a bit of reluctance because I have had such a good time here.

"Part of me wishes that I could have stayed to see it through, but circumstances are such that this is the best route to take.

"I have really enjoyed my time with the club, I have a lot of affection for Stoke City and I wish them all the very best for the future."

Joining Luton Town in a period of transition for the Hatters, Sam was appointed as assistant manager to Kevin Blackwell and he was hoping that he could help the club to regain their former glories and to become a force in English football once again.

Unfortunately for Sam and the club, things didn't go quite as planned - in fact, that would be a huge understatement!  The side's form at the beginning of the season was patchy, the Hatters impressive at home, but extremely poor on their travels, winning only one away League game under new manager Kevin Blackwell in 2007-08.

An impressive run in the League Cup - where both Sunderland and Charlton Athletic were beaten - ended in an extra-time home defeat to Everton in the Fourth Round and gave Blackwell and his staff some much-needed pressure relief, but in the League the Hatters were struggling in mid-lower table of League One.

Then came a bombshell as Chairman David Pinkney stepped down from the Club and put Luton Town into administration in November 2007.  At the same time, Directors John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot also resigned under extreme pressure from the Hatters fans, who were extremely aggrieved at numerous player sales and with the pair under investigation from the Football Association for financial irregularities.  Sam, head coach John Carver and Blackwell were understandably upset by the developments and Blackwell stated many times that he felt "cheated" and that he'd been brought to the Club under "false promises".

The club were automatically deduced 10 points by the Football Association, which saw the Hatters plummet to bottom place in League One.  However, the off-the-field activities seemed to galvanize the players who produced some excellent displays on the pitch.  Although Luton remained in the relegation places when Sam was dismissed from his position in mid-January 2008, they had clawed back a good few points to give themselves a fighting chance of staving off the threat of relegation.

The Club also gained huge praise and worldwide recognition when they were drawn at home to Premiership giants Liverpool in the FA Cup Third Round in January 2008.  A superb 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road in front of the live Sky television cameras earned a money-spinning replay at Anfield.  However, it was at this point that things went from bad to worse for John and his fellow staff members.  The administrators decided to sell two key players - central defender and club captain Chris Coyne and midfielder David Edwards - for £350,000 and £675,000 to Colchester United and Wolves respectively.  Manager Kevin Blackwell stated that he felt the decisions had been made without his say-so and that he was no longer managing the Club.  Blackwell, head coach John Carver, and Sam all subsequently resigned, but said they'd stay at the Club until February, thereby giving a month's notice, even though they weren't required to do so.  However, just days later, after the decimated Hatters were bravely beaten 0-5 at Liverpool in the FA Cup replay, the administrators announced that they had terminated the trio's contracts with immediate effect and they duly appoint Hatters legend Mick Harford as the new Luton Town manager.

It brought an end to Sam's nine-month spell at Kenilworth Road, but he left with the best wishes of all Luton Town supporters for the work he had done under extremely difficult circumstances.

Just weeks after leaving Kenilworth Road, Sam was back in football, becoming assistant manager to Kevin Blackwell once again, this time at Sheffield United.

Profile By:  James Garley