UK Eurovision star became non-league football boss and even managed in Guam

11 May 2024 , 06:09

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Daz Sampson represented the UK at Eurovision (Image: Mark Allan/BBC/PA)

From Eurovision to non-league football management, Daz Sampson's career has been anything but ordinary.

The Stockport -born star had a promising future in professional football until an injury redirected him towards radio broadcasting. Sampson then transitioned from spinning records to creating them, contributing to several music groups including Bus Stop, Fraud Squad, and Sampson and Mason.

At 49, he also found success with the band Uniting Nations, leading to his unforgettable performance of 'Teenage Life' at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest after being approached by music industry executive Richard Park. Despite finishing 19th out of 24 acts at Eurovision, the song was a hit before the competition, securing a Top 10 spot on the UK Singles Chart.

"If you listen to my interviews from back then, you'll have heard me saying I thought we could have won the whole thing," he told Ladbrokes in 2007. "I knew full well we were not going to win, but if I was going to have a fight with Tyson Fury, I'm not gonna say 'he's gonna kick the hell out of me', because I'd be beaten before I got in the ring! ", reports the Daily Star.

Reflecting on his rise to fame, Sampson mentioned how it opened doors to reality TV gigs with shows like Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity knocking at his door, yet his heart was set on a return to football, leading him to an unexpected managerial role in Poland with a semi-pro team.

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He reminisced about a memorable match: "We played Wisla Krakow in a cup. At the time, I had a team of taxi drivers and plasterers, and they a Champions League team only beat us 3-2 over two games."

Sampson's career took another unconventional turn when he became the coach of a team in Guam, an American territory, where he found considerable success. He recalled: "I remember taking my first training session in Guam. I get there, not a ball in sight," said Sampson, who also had coaching stints in America.

Sampson took over at Cheshire League side Halebank FC in 2018 after a successful stint in Guam (Liverpool Echo)

"It's all about fitness and the shape of the squad. And then at the end, they get these tennis balls out. Honest to God, you could not get the ball off these players."

He proudly stated his impressive record: "In the last five seasons, I have a 72 per cent win rate. I took a team in Guam with players who weren't even being paid when I went there to second in the league, to winning the cup, to now having three international players playing for them," he said at the time.

After a stint of success in the Pacific Island, Sampson made his way back to England to helm Cheshire League team Halebank FC in 2018, but he's faced challenges being taken seriously due to his entertainment past.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, he expressed his frustration: "I wasn't taken seriously in this country, I was just seen as that guy off the telly. I came back to this country in 2016, coaching Ashton Town, but I still wasn't taken seriously. But go to Guam or Tampa, they'll not know me as a musician, they'll know me as a bloody good football manager."

He continued, lamenting the lasting impact of his Eurovision fame: "I'll never get away from that stigma of Eurovision etc, but I don't want it [managing Halebank] to become a circus," he said at the time.

Daz Sampson performed 'Teenage Life' at Eurovision in 2006 which ended up being a top 10 hit (Getty)

With the recent news of Olly Alexander, ex-Years and Years frontman, representing the UK at Eurovision, Sampson didn't hide his eagerness for another shot at the contest.

"If you could wave a magic wand and put me back in it this year, I'd snap your hand off," he admitted. He reminisced about the experience, comparing it to a major sports event: "I'd do it again because aside from how it messes up your career if you're not too serious about it. It's like going to the World Cup of music. The Eurovision fans are like football fans, it's unreal. Of course I'd do it again."

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Nick Murphy