Philip Smith (footballer, born 1885)

Philip Smith
Personal information
Date of birth 1885[1]
Place of birth Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Date of death 29 September 1918(1918-09-29) (aged 32–33)[2]
Place of death Pas-de-Calais, France
Position Centre forward
Youth career
Knutton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1905–1906 Burslem Port Vale 25 (8)
Crewe Alexandra
1910 Chelsea 1 (0)
1910–1911 Burnley 7 (0)
1911–1912 Crewe Alexandra
Stalybridge Celtic
Total 25 (8)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philip Smith (1885 – 29 September 1918) was an English footballer who played at centre-forward for Burslem Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra, Chelsea, Burnley, and Stalybridge Celtic. He was killed in action during World War I.[2]

Career

Smith played for Knutton before joining Burslem Port Vale in August 1905.[3] After making his debut in a 3–1 defeat to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on 2 September, he became a regular in the first-team.[3] He got his first League goal seven days later, in a 4–3 win over Chesterfield at the Athletic Ground.[3] He claimed eight goals in 25 Second Division appearances in the 1905–06 season.[3] However, he was later released, most likely in the summer of 1906.[3] He later played for Crewe Alexandra, before joining Chelsea for a £250 fee in April 1910.[1] He played one First Division match for the club, a 1–0 defeat at Bristol City on 16 April 1910.[1] He left Chelsea in October 1910 and went on to play for Burnley and Stalybridge Celtic.

Personal life

Smith was the older brother of footballer Joe Smith.[4] He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I and was killed in action whilst fighting in the Western Front on 29 September 1918.[2]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[5]
Club Season League FA Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Burslem Port Vale 1905–06 Second Division 25 8 1 0 3 1 29 9
Chelsea 1909–10 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Burnley 1910–11 Second Division 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 33 8 1 0 3 1 37 9

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Philip Smith Player Profile on Stamford-Bridge.com". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Philip Smith | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 273. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  4. ^ "What happened when war made football grind to a halt at Wanderers". The Bolton News. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  5. ^ Sourced by Philip Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)