Sammy Smyth

Samuel Smyth (25 February 1925 – 19 October 2016) was a Northern Irish footballer who played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City and Liverpool.[1]

This article is about the footballer. For the Irish loyalist, see Sammy Smyth (loyalist).

Sammy Smyth
Personal information
Full name Samuel Smyth[1]
Date of birth (1925-02-25)25 February 1925
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Date of death 19 October 2016(2016-10-19) (aged 91)
Place of death Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Playing position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1942–1945 Distillery
1945–1947 Linfield
1947 Dundela
1947–1951 Wolverhampton Wanderers 102 (34)
1951–1953 Stoke City 40 (17)
1953–1954 Liverpool 44 (20)
1954 Bangor
Total 186 (71)
National team
1948–1952 Northern Ireland 9 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Smyth was born in Belfast in 1925[1] and played for local clubs Distillery, Linfield and Dundela in the Irish League before being signed by English Football League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 1947 for a fee of £1,100.[1] Despite taking Wolves to third place in the 1946–47 season manager Ted Vizard was replaced by his assistant Stan Cullis in June 1948. The following year Cullis led Wolves to the FA Cup final against Leicester City, Jesse Pye scoring two goals in the first half and Smyth netting another in the 68th minute.[1] The following season Wolves finished in 2nd place in the First Division. He had scored 43 goals in 116 cup and league appearances for Wolves.[1]

In September 1951 Stoke City paid a club record fee of £25,000 to Wolves for Smyth in a bid to help them avoid relegation after an awful start to the 1951–52 season.[1] Smyth had the desired impact at the Victoria Ground as he scored 12 vital goals as Stoke escaped the drop by three points.[1] He scored five goals in 14 matches in 1952–53 before being sold to Liverpool in January 1953 for a fee of £12,000.[1] Smyth made his debut for his new club against the side he just departed, Stoke just days later. He spent two seasons at Anfield scoring 20 goals in 44 appearances.[1]

After football

Smyth returned to Belfast where he played for Bangor and also worked as a bookmaker. He later opened his own sports distribution business which sold sports equipment throughout Ireland. He and his wife Enid regularly traveled to the Caribbean to visit their daughter and after his wife's passing in 2002 he later moved to live with his daughter.[1] He died on 19 October 2016 at the age of 91 and was the last surviving player from the 1949 FA Cup winning team and the Stoke City team.[2]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[3]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1947–48 First Division 30800308
1948–49 First Division 3916764621
1949–50 First Division 299633512
1950–51 First Division 300030
1951–52 First Division 110011
Total 1023413911542
Stoke City 1951–52 First Division 2612423014
1952–53 First Division 14500145
Total 4017424419
Liverpool 1952–53 First Division 18700187
1953–54 First Division 261300263
Total 4420004420
Career Total 18671171120382

International

Source:[4]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Northern Ireland 194722
194820
194933
195010
195110
Total95

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. "Wolves FA Cup final hero and former Stoke and Liverpool star Sam Smyth dies at 91". Stoke Sentinel. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  3. Sammy Smyth at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  4. Smyth, Sammy at National-Football-Teams.com
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