Bert Smith (footballer, born 1892)
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bert Smith
| fullname = Bertram Smith
| birth_date = {{birth date|1892|3|6|df=y}}{{cite web |title=England Players - Bert Smith |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersS/BioSmithB.html |website=www.englandfootballonline.com |access-date=16 January 2023}}
| birth_place = Higham, Kent, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1969|9|12|1892|3|7|df=y}}
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7+1/2}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000986/19130818/093/0005 |title=The coming of the big ball: the Second Division: Huddersfield Town |newspaper=Athletic News |location=Manchester |date=18 August 1913 |page=5 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}
| position = Right half
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Vanbrugh Park
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Crawford United
| years1 = 19??–1913
| clubs1 = Metrogas
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 1913–1915
| clubs2 = Huddersfield Town
| caps2 = 16
| goals2 = 5
| years3 = 1919–1930
| clubs3 = Tottenham Hotspur
| caps3 = 291
| goals3 = 9
| nationalyears1 = 1921–1922
| nationalteam1 = England
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
}}
Bertram "Bert" Smith (6 March 1892 – 12 September 1969) was a professional footballer, who played for Huddersfield Town, Tottenham Hotspur and played international football for England.
Career
Smith was born in Higham, Kent and initially played for a number of lower league sides (Vanbrugh Park, Crawford United, Metrogas){{cite book | title=England: Player by player | publisher=Green Umbrella Publishing|last= Betts|first= Graham | year=2006| isbn=1-905009-63-1|page=221}} as well as playing for an Army side, before making it into the top flight of football with Huddersfield Town. He played at right half and transferred to Spurs on 19 August 1919. During his time at the club he made 319 appearances and scored ten goals in all competitions.[http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_azofplayers.html A-Z of Tottenham Hotspur players] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415215517/http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/history/history_azofplayers.html |date=15 April 2009 }} Retrieved 12 February 2009 The highlight of his Spurs career was collecting a winners' medal in the 1921 FA Cup Final. He also took part in a number of fiercely fought matches with local rivals Arsenal. In the match in September 1922 a major fracas broke out after a Spurs goal.
The reporter from The Sunday Evening Telegram recorded that:
"After the Spurs goal came the most disgraceful scene I have witnessed on any ground at any time. Players pulled the referee, blows with fists were exchanged, and all the dignity that appertains in the referee was rudely trampled on." In the aftermath, following a Commission of Inquiry, Tottenham's Bert Smith was found to have used "filthy language" and suspended for a month. Arsenal's Alex Graham was censured for retaliating instead of reporting matters to the ref, and Stephen Dunn (Arsenal's goalkeeper) for his conduct after Tottenham's goal was allowed to stand."{{cite news|url=http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=285402&PgId=4|title=Bert Smith on Goal.com site}}
Smith's international career comprised two games for England. He debuted on 9 April 1921 against Scotland and played his second match against Wales on 13 March 1922.
Smith finished his career at Spurs in May 1931 when he joined Northfleet United F.C. a club affiliated with Tottenham, as a coach. In later years he went on to be coach/trainer at Young Boys in Switzerland, Harwich and Parkeston, Hitchin and Stevenage Borough.{{cite news |url=http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=889 |title=Bert Smith on Englandfc site |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514115901/http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=889 |archivedate=14 May 2008 |df=dmy-all }}
Career statistics
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="2" |England
|1921 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1922 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" |Total||2||0 |
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite book|title=99 Years and Counting: Stats and Stories|author=Ian Thomas, Owen Thomas, Alan Hodgson, John Ward|year=2007|publisher=Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|isbn=978-0955728105}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Bert}}
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's international footballers
Category:People from Gravesham (district)
Category:Men's association football wing halves
Category:English Football League players
Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players
Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
Category:English Football League representative players
Category:Metrogas F.C. players
Category:People from Higham, Kent