Stan Smith
Personal information
Full name Stanley James Smith[1]
Date of birth (1931-02-24)24 February 1931
Place of birth Kidsgrove, England[1]
Date of death 8 April 2010(2010-04-08) (aged 79)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
0000 Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1957 Port Vale 60 (19)
1957–1958 Crewe Alexandra 28 (6)
1958 Oldham Athletic 4 (0)
1958–1960 Witton Albion
1960–1963 Macclesfield Town 109 (86)
1964–1965 Stafford Rangers
Runcorn
New Brighton
Total 201+ (111+)
Managerial career
Winsford United
1964–1965 Stafford Rangers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stanley James Smith (24 February 1931 – 8 April 2010) was an English footballer. A forward, he scored 25 goals in 92 league games in an eight-year career in the English Football League. He spent 1950 to 1957 with Port Vale, and later had brief spells with Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic, Witton Albion, Macclesfield Town, Stafford Rangers, Runcorn, New Brighton and managed Winsford United and Alsager Town.

Career

Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950.[1] It took until 27 September 1954 for manager Freddie Steele to hand him his debut, in a 1–0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers.[1] He scored his first goal at Vale Park in a 3–3 draw with Ipswich Town on 23 October, and went on to score eight goals in 26 games in 1954–55, including two against West Ham United in the FA Cup.[1] Smith scored five goals in 20 Second Division games in 1955–56, including a brace against Bristol City on 30 March.[1]

He scored twice past Sheffield United in a 4–2 defeat at Bramall Lane on 25 August 1956, and seven days later scored another brace against Bristol City.[1] A week later he scored another two goals, in a 4–2 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.[1] He also scored against Potteries derby rivals Stoke City in a 3–1 defeat at the Victoria Ground on 10 October.[1] However, he lost his first team place in November 1956, and finished the 1956–57 season with eight goals in 17 appearances.[1] New manager Norman Low sold him on to Crewe Alexandra in July 1957, who finished bottom of the Third Division North under Maurice Lindley's stewardship in 1957–58. He then played four league games for Oldham Athletic after being signed for a £250 fee, but left Boundary Park after telling the club he did not want to be a full-time professional as he was employed as a planning engineer for English Electric.[3] He moved on to Cheshire County League club Witton Albion later in 1958, and scored 32 goals from 45 games in the 1958–59 season.[4] He scored 26 goals in 40 games during the 1959–60 campaign.[5] He scored two goals in seven games at the start of the 1960–61 season, before he signed with Macclesfield Town in 1960.[6][3] He scored a brace on his debut against Stafford Rangers at Moss Rose, and went on to score seven hat-tricks and 38 league goals to become the club's top-scorer in the 1960–61 season.[3] He scored 26 goals in 41 league games in the 1961–62 campaign and 22 goals in 37 league matches in the 1962–63 season, finishing as the club's top-scorer on both occasions. He went on to play for Stafford Rangers, Runcorn and New Brighton.[3]

Post-retirement

Upon his retirement as a player, Smith became manager of non-League club Winsford United. After his career in the game finished, Smith remained a keen Port Vale fan and later became the chairman of the Executive Club. He worked at ROF Radway Green, English Electric in Kidsgrove, and ICL at Winsford.[7] He later ran his own firm in Chesterton, Staffordshire.[7] He married Brenda in 1951.[7]

Career statistics

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1954–55[8] Second Division 23632268
1955–56[8] Second Division 20500205
1956–57[8] Second Division 17800178
Total 6019326321
Crewe Alexandra 1957–58[8] Third Division North 28610296
Oldham Athletic 1957–58[8] Third Division North 400040
Witton Albion 1958–59[4] Cheshire County League 4532
1959–60[5] Cheshire County League 4026
1960–61[6] Cheshire County League 72
Total 9260
Macclesfield Town 1960–61[9] Cheshire County League 3138003138
1961–62[10] Cheshire County League 4126214327
1962–63[11] Cheshire County League 3722223924
Total 109864311389

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 274. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ "Stan Smith obituary". lastingtribute.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Player Profiles - S". www.silkmenarchives.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 "1958-59 PLAYERS RECORDS". www.wittonalbionfc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 "1959-60 PLAYERS RECORDS". www.wittonalbionfc.co.uk.
  6. 1 2 "1960-61 PLAYERS RECORDS". www.wittonalbionfc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Crowds gather to say farewell to Vale legend". The Sentinel. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Stan Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  9. ↑ "Season Statistics - Cheshire League - 1960-61". www.silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "Season Statistics - Cheshire League - 1961-62". www.silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Season Statistics - Cheshire League - 1962-63". www.silkmenarchives.org.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
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