Joe Smith (footballer born 1889)

Football manager infobox
playername = Joe Smith


fullname = Joseph Smith
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1889|6|25|df=yes
cityofbirth = Dudley
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1971|8|11|1889|6|25|df=yes
cityofdeath = Blackpool
countryofdeath = England
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position =
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1908-1927
1927-1929
1929-1931
clubs = Bolton Wanderers
Stockport County
Darwen (player-manager)
Career
caps(goals) = 492 (277)
069 0(61)
051 0(42)
612 (380)
nationalyears = 1913-1920
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals)= 005 00(1)
manageryears = 1929-1931
1931-1935
1935-1958
managerclubs = Darwen (player-manager)
Reading
Blackpool
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Joseph "Joe" Smith (25 June 1889 – 11 August 1971) was an English professional football player and manager. He was manager of Blackpool for 23 years and guided them to victory in the 1953 FA Cup Final, the only time they have won the competition since their 1887 inception.

Playing career

Born in Dudley in the West Midlands, Smith spent almost his entire playing career with Bolton Wanderers, for whom he signed in 1908, either as an inside or centre-forward. He helped them to reach two FA Cup finals, in 1923 and 1926, as well as playing for England on five occasions, either side of the First World War. [ [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=886 Profile at www.englandstats.com] ]

With the help of Trotters teammate Ted Vizard, during the with 243 league goals to his name.

Upon leaving Wanderers in 1927, Smith signed for Stockport County and went on to score 61 goals in 69 league games.

Smith finished his playing career with Darwen (see "Managerial career" section below).

International career

The first of Smith's five England caps came on 15 February 1913, against Ireland at Belfast's Windsor Park in the Home Championship. The hosts won 2-1, despite being positioned 21 places below England in the ELO Ranking at the time.

His other caps came against Wales (a [http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=118 2-0 victory] , with Smith scoring the opening goal), Scotland (a [http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=119 3-1 loss] ), Ireland (a [http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=120 1-1 draw] ), and Wales (a [http://www.englandstats.com/matchreport.php?mid=121 2-1 loss] ).

Managerial career

Darwen

In 1929, Smith became player-manager of Darwen (see a 1931 team photo with Smith — front row, fourth from left — as captain [http://www.btinternet.com/~dajaca/dar3.jpghere] ). As a player, he scored 42 goals in 51 games. [ [http://www.btinternet.com/~dajaca/jsmith.htm Joseph Smith ] ] As manager, he guided them to wins in Lancashire Combination Championship (twice), the Combination Cup (twice), the Lancashire Junior Cup, and the Lancashire Challenge Trophy.

Reading

Upon hanging up his playing boots in 1931, Smith became manager of Third Division South outfit Reading. In his four years at Elm Park, he led the club to runners-up spot twice and to third and fourth in the other two seasons.

Blackpool

In August 1935, Smith was approached to become the new manager of Blackpool, in place of the departed Sandy MacFarlane, an offer he immediately accepted; a love of the seaside apparently being one of the main deciding factors.

In 1936-37, only his second season at Bloomfield Road, Smith achieved promotion to Division One after leading the club to second place in the league. The early 1950s "M" forward line of Mortensen, Matthews and Mudie that Smith constructed was responsible for three FA Cup final appearances (two losses, one win - see below) and several challenges for the League Championship. Of his 23 seasons at the seaside, 21 were spent in the top flight.

His most notable achievement was guiding Blackpool to the 1953 FA Cup Final victory over his former club, Bolton.

After 714 Football League games in charge of Blackpool, Smith resigned in 1958, at the age of 68, due to poor health. Blackpool had won 306, drawn 164 and lost 244 under his guidance. The Blackpool board rewarded his services by giving him a hefty "golden handshake" and bought him a house in the town.

Managerial stats

Death

Smith died in Blackpool on 11 August 11 1971, aged 82.

ee also

*Blackpool F.C. season 1935-36 to Blackpool F.C. season 1957-58

Notes

References

*cite book | first=Roy | last=Calley| coauthors= | title=Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992 | publisher=Breedon Books Sport | location= | year=1992 | editor= | id=ISBN 1-873626-07-X

External links

* [http://www.btinternet.com/~dajaca/jsmith.htm Smith's profile at the Darwen Royal British Legion]
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~dajaca/dar3.jpgPhoto of Darwen's 1931 squad. Smith is in the front row, fourth from left]
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=7412 Playing profile at Soccerbase]
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/managers2.sd?managerid=773 Managerial profile at Soccerbase]
* [http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Archive/?pf=p&i=417&searchname=Smith%20II&
]