Alan Smith (15 October 1921 – 27 May 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as an outside left in the Football League for Arsenal, Brentford, and Leyton Orient making a total of 22 appearances, scoring 5 goals.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Smith[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1921 | ||
| Place of birth | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||
| Date of death | 27 May 2019 (aged 97)[2] | ||
| Place of death | East Sussex, England | ||
| Position(s) | Outside left | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1946 | Arsenal | 3 | (0) |
| 1946–1949 | Brentford | 13 | (4) |
| 1949–1950 | Leyton Orient | 6 | (1) |
| 1950–1953 | Tonbridge | ||
| 1953–1954 | Ashford Town | 26 | (6) |
| 1954–1955 | Whitstable | ||
| 1955–1956 | Ramsgate Athletic | ||
| 1956 | Dover | ||
| 1956–1957 | Whitstable | ||
| 1957 | Tunbridge Wells United (trial) | ||
| 1957–1958 | Chatham Town | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editSmith joined First Division club Arsenal in May 1946 after being demobbed from the Army.[4] He made his league debut, aged 24, on 7 September 1946 against Sunderland. He made only a further two appearances for "The Gunners" before, in December 1946, being transferred to another First Division club Brentford.[5] Smith scored his first league goal on 26 December 1946 for Brentford in a 2–1 victory against Sheffield United and scored a total of three goals in ten league appearances for "The Bees" over the 1946–47 season – at the end of which the club were relegated. He did not play any further league matches for Brentford until the tail-end of the 1948–49 season, when he appeared in three Second Division matches, scoring one goal.
In July 1949 Smith was part of a player exchange deal (with Reg Newton moving in the opposite direction) that took him to Leyton Orient[6] of the Football League Third Division South. He played in six matches, scoring one goal for "The Os" in the 1949–50 season. During the summer of 1950 Smith moved to non-league football when he signed with Tonbridge[7] of the Southern Football League, reuniting with his former Brentford manager Harry Curtis. He spent three seasons with Tonbridge, and had the misfortune to suffer a broken leg break during the 1951–52 season albeit he was fit for the start his final season, 1952–53, with "The Angels".[8]
Smith next signed with Ashford Town,[9] who were managed by his former Brentford teammate David Nelson and played with the club for a single season, 1953–54, in the Kent League (his subsequent clubs were all members of this league). In September 1954 Smith joined Whitstable[10] where he remained until early December 1955 when he then signed for Ramsgate Athletic.[11] However, after a few games for "The Rams" reserves team, in February 1956 he to moved on to Dover.[12] At the start of the following, 1956–57, season Smith rejoined Whitstable,[13] however on 3 April 1957 he played his final match for "The Oystermen" – a midweek Thames and Medway Combination match against Tunbridge Wells United – as he was leaving the UK for Canada.[14] However, Smith returned after several months and again played in the Kent League: in August 1957 he had a one month trial with Tunbridge Wells United,[15] and then in October 1957 he joined Chatham Town[16] for whom he played during the remainder of the 1957–58 season.
Personal life
editWhilst in Canada, Smith worked for a time at a uranium mine, then on his return to the UK he worked as a painter and decorator and also for the London Electricity Board. Together with his wife he was a medal winning ballroom dancer.[2]
Smith died in East Sussex, England on 27 May 2019, aged 87.
Career statistics
edit| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 1946–47[17] | First Division | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Brentford | 1946–47[18] | First Division | 10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 14 | 3 | |
| 1948–49[18] | Second Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 13 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 17 | 4 | |||
| Leyton Orient | 1949–50[19] | Third Division South | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | |
| Ashford Town | 1953–54[9] | Kent League | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 32 | 6 |
| Career total | 48 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 58 | 11 | ||
- ^ 2 appearances in Kent League Cup, 1 appearance in Kent Senior Cup, 1 appearance in Kent Senior Shield
References
edit- ^ "Alan Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Alan Smith: 1921 – 2019". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 147. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ "Two big names may be at the bottom tonight". Daily Mirror. London. 7 September 1946. p. 7.
- ^ "Time Their Luck Turned!". Daily Mirror. London. 14 December 1946. p. 9.
- ^ "Albion's Winger". Daily Herald. London. 20 July 1949. p. 6.
- ^ "This Was Indeed A Good Omen". Tonbridge Free Press. Tonbridge. 18 August 1950. p. 7.
- ^ "Sports Chatter: Angels' Retained List". Tonbridge Free Press. Tonbridge. 15 August 1952. p. 5.
- ^ a b "Alan Smith Player Profile". The Nuts and Bolts Archive. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Ted Harding Signs New Left Winger". Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. Whitstable. 11 September 1954. p. 4.
- ^ "Talking Sport". East Kent Times and Mail. Ramsgate. 2 December 1955. p. 5.
- ^ "Talking Sport". East Kent Times and Mail. Ramsgate. 15 February 1956. p. 2.
- ^ "Football: Two More Signings". Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. Whitstable. 28 July 1956. p. 4.
- ^ "Presentation To Alan Smith". Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald. Whitstable. 6 April 1957. p. 4.
- ^ "Tunbridge Wells were out of luck". Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph. Maidstone. 30 August 1957. p. 10.
- ^ "Chatham lose two of their half-backs". Kent Messenger & Gravesend Telegraph. Maidstone. 11 October 1957. p. 11.
- ^ "Alan Smith". 11v11.com. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ a b White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 379–380. ISBN 0951526200.
- ^ Alan Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)