- Birthdate: 25 February 1925
- Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Date of death: 19 October 2016
- Other clubs: Distillery (1942-44), Linfield (1944-47), Dundela (1947), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1947-51), Stoke City (1951-52), Bangor (1955)
- Signed from: Stoke City
- Signed for LFC: £12,000, 31.12.1952
- International debut: 04.10.1947 vs Scotland
- International caps: 9/5 - 08.03.1950
- Liverpool debut: 03.01.1953
- Last appearance: 24.04.1954
- Debut goal: 07.02.1953
- Last goal: 19.04.1954
- Contract expiry: 07.01.1955
- Win ratio: 29.55% W:13 D:6 L:25
- Games/goals ratio: 2.2
- Total games/goals opposite LFC: 8 / 2
- League games / goals: 44 / 20
- Total games / goals: 44 / 20
Player Profile
Belfast-born inside-forward Smyth played for his hometown club Linfield before moving to Wolves in July 1947. His highlight there was scoring a goal in a 3-1 victory in the 1949 FA Cup final against Leicester City. After four years, 115 appearances and 43 goals at Molineux, he was transferred to Stoke City where he scored 19 goals in 44 games for the struggling first division club. Smyth joined Liverpool when he was 27 years old and went straight into the team. He made his debut on 3 January 1953 when Liverpool visited the club he had just signed from. But it was no happy return. Stoke won 3-1 and Liverpool lost their next two matches as well to give them an unenviable record of just three points from the last 22 and in very real danger of relegation to the Second Division. After just one league victory in 15 games, Smyth scored in the next three matches, all of which were won. The seven goals he managed to score from 18 games were a big factor in Liverpool just climbing to safety by the end of the season.
But a year later, an even better strike-rate, 13 from 26 games, couldn't prevent relegation despite a late rally which saw four victories in six games. The club's proud record of being a first division club for nearly 50 years was at an end. Smyth wanted to focus on his bookmaking business in County Down in his native Northern Ireland so Liverpool had to cope without their top-scorer in the Second Division. Smyth later moved to the Cayman Islands where he sold sports equipment.
Smyth passed away on 19 October 2016, then Liverpool FC's oldest surviving player. “Daddy was always very humble, and he remembered his days at Wolves with much sentiment,” said daughter Sheena Smyth Conolly. “But he was always very modest about his success. He was just fun-loving. A great character, who always had a twinkle in his eye. He had a great sense of humour, but he had no time for big egos or pomposity – a dignified gentleman."
Appearances per season
Season |
League |
FA |
LC |
Europe |
Other |
Total |
Totals |
44 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
44 |
1952-1953 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
1953-1954 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps |
Minutes |
Opponent |
4 |
360 |
Chelsea |
3 |
270 |
Blackpool |
3 |
270 |
Manchester City |
3 |
270 |
Bolton Wanderers |
3 |
270 |
WBA |
3 |
270 |
Arsenal |
3 |
270 |
Cardiff City |
3 |
270 |
Middlesbrough |
3 |
270 |
Sunderland |
2 |
180 |
Aston Villa |
2 |
180 |
Manchester United |
2 |
180 |
Newcastle United |
2 |
180 |
Portsmouth |
1 |
90 |
Preston North End |
1 |
90 |
Huddersfield Town |
1 |
90 |
Charlton Athletic |
1 |
90 |
Derby |
1 |
90 |
Stoke City |
1 |
90 |
Sheffield United |
1 |
90 |
Sheffield Wednesday |
1 |
90 |
Wolves |
Total |
Venue |
24 |
Away |
20 |
Home |
Total |
W |
D |
L |
Win % |
Manager |
44 |
13 |
6 |
25 |
29.5% |
Don Welsh |
Goals per season
Season |
League |
FA |
LC |
Europe |
Other |
Total |
Totals |
20 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
1952-1953 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
1953-1954 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
A more detailed look at the player's goalscoring
Milestone Appearances
# |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
03.01.1953 |
Stoke City |
Victoria Ground |
League |
Milestone Goals
# |
Minute |
Date |
Against |
Stadium |
Competition |
1 |
22 |
07.02.1953 |
Middlesbrough |
Ayresome Park |
League |
Related Articles
By James Whittaker on 12 May, 2015. Published on the compasscayman.com.
Other Clubs
Club |
Season |
Club rank |
League apps |
League goals |
Total apps |
Total goals |
Distillery |
1942-1944 |
Northern Regional League |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Linfield |
1944-1947 |
Northern Regional League |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Dundela |
1947 |
Irish Intermediate League |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Wolves |
1947-1948 |
England First Division |
30 |
8 |
30 |
8 |
Wolves |
1948-1949 |
England First Division |
39 |
16 |
46 |
22 |
Wolves |
1949-1950 |
England First Division |
29 |
9 |
35 |
12 |
Wolves |
1950-1951 |
England First Division |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Wolves |
1951-1952 |
England First Division |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Stoke City |
1951-1952 |
England First Division |
26 |
12 |
30 |
14 |
Stoke City |
1952-1953 |
England First Division |
14 |
5 |
14 |
5 |
Bangor City |
1955 |
Northern Ireland |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Total |
142 |
51 |
159 |
62 |