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Sammy Smyth

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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
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
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)
International career
1948–1952 Northern Ireland 9 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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]

Career

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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] Smyth had scored both Wolves goals in the two semi-final games against Manchester Utd. 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

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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.[3]

Career statistics

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Club

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Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1947–48 First Division 30 8 0 0 30 8
1948–49 First Division 39 16 7 6 46 21
1949–50 First Division 29 9 6 3 35 12
1950–51 First Division 3 0 0 0 3 0
1951–52 First Division 1 1 0 0 1 1
Total 102 34 13 9 115 42
Stoke City 1951–52 First Division 26 12 4 2 30 14
1952–53 First Division 14 5 0 0 14 5
Total 40 17 4 2 44 19
Liverpool 1952–53 First Division 18 7 0 0 18 7
1953–54 First Division 26 13 0 0 26 3
Total 44 20 0 0 44 20
Career Total 186 71 17 11 203 82

International

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Source:[5]

National team Year Apps Goals
Northern Ireland 1947 2 2
1948 2 0
1949 3 3
1950 1 0
1951 1 0
Total 9 5

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "Sammy Smyth". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats (NIFG). Jonny Dewart. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ Sammy Smyth at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. ^ Smyth, Sammy at National-Football-Teams.com
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