Jack Smith (footballer born 1882)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" Smith was an English
professional footballer who scored 39 goals in 110 appearances in First Division
of the Football League
playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers
and Birmingham
. He played as a forward.
Smith was born in Wednesfield
, Staffordshire
, and played for Cannock and for Stafford Road
before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers
in 1906. He scored twice on his debut in the Football League
on the opening day of the 1902–03 season, in a 3–0 home win against Derby County
. He continued to score at a respectable rate, and two seasons later was Wolves' leading scorer jointly with Billy Wooldridge
. In April 1906, with Wolves' relegation
from the First Division
confirmed, Smith joined fellow First Division club Birmingham
; they still had three games left to play, in which he contributed one goal. However, as a short, stocky man he did not fit in with Birmingham's style of play, and less than a year later he moved on, to Southern League
club Bristol Rovers
. In his only season with Rovers he scored 10 goals in 31 Southern League games, and then embarked on a tour of the Southern League, playing in turn for Norwich City
, Luton Town
, Millwall
and Coventry City
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who scored 39 goals in 110 appearances in First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He played as a forward.
Smith was born in Wednesfield
Wednesfield
Wednesfield lies at , and is located to the northeast of Wolverhampton city centre on the northern fringe of the West Midlands conurbation...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and played for Cannock and for Stafford Road
Stafford Road F.C.
Stafford Road were an English association football club founded in 1876, that are now defunct. The club was connected to the Stafford Road railway works in Wolverhampton, then-Staffordshire.-History:...
before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in 1906. He scored twice on his debut in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
on the opening day of the 1902–03 season, in a 3–0 home win against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. He continued to score at a respectable rate, and two seasons later was Wolves' leading scorer jointly with Billy Wooldridge
Billy Wooldridge
William Thomas Wooldridge was an English footballer who spent his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:Wooldridge played for Wednesbury Old Athletic during its successful 1899-1900 campaign, and was a key member of the side that won the Walsall & District League championship, the...
. In April 1906, with Wolves' relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
confirmed, Smith joined fellow First Division club Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
; they still had three games left to play, in which he contributed one goal. However, as a short, stocky man he did not fit in with Birmingham's style of play, and less than a year later he moved on, to Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
club Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
. In his only season with Rovers he scored 10 goals in 31 Southern League games, and then embarked on a tour of the Southern League, playing in turn for Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
.