Alf Smith (footballer, born 1880)

Alf Smith

Personal information
Full name	Alfred Smith[1]
Date of birth	1880
Place of birth	Longton, England[1]
Date of death	1944 (aged 64)[1]
Playing position	Inside left
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1902	Burton United	0	(0)
1903–1906	Stoke	3	(0)
–	Wrexham
–	Crewe Alexandra
1910–1915	Stoke	138	(67)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Alfred "Alf" Smith (1880 – 1944) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke.^[1]

Career

Smith Initially signed for Stoke from Burton United in 1904, he made his League debut against Nottingham Forest in March 1904 but however he failed to impress the management team and left for Wrexham.^[1] Four years later, after serving with Crewe Alexandra he returned to the Victoria Ground, a much wiser and experienced footballer.^[1] In the 1910–11 season Smith scored an impressive 35 goals in 44 games for Stoke. Whilst he struggled to reach them highs in the following two seasons and scored 16 goals in 1913–14 and left Stoke after the 1914–15 season.^[1] He scored 72 goals for Stoke in all competitions making him one of Stoke most prolific goal scorers. He later took up cricket and became vice captain of Longton Cricket Club.^[1]

Career statistics

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Stoke[1]	1903–04	First Division	1	0	0	0	1	0
	1904–05	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1905–06	First Division	2	0	0	0	2	0
	1910–11	Southern League D2	41	31	3	4	44	35
	1911–12	Southern League D1	23	4	1	0	24	4
	1912–13	Southern League D1	34	9	2	1	36	10
	1913–14	Southern League D2	22	16	3	0	25	16
	1914–15	Southern League D2	18	7	0	0	18	7
Career Total			141	67	9	5	150	72

References

1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.