David Smyth (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | David Smyth[1] | ||
Date of birth | 1913 or 1914[2] | ||
Place of birth | Clydebank, Scotland | ||
Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
19??–1935 | Maryhill | ||
1935 | Petershill | ||
1935–1936 | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
1936–1937 | Newcastle United | 0 | (0) |
1937–1938 | Darlington | 19 | (6) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
David Smyth (1913 or 1914 – after 1937) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Darlington.[1] He played for Scottish junior clubs Maryhill and Petershill, and was on the books of Aston Villa and Newcastle United in England without playing first-team football for either.
Football career
Smyth was born in Clydebank, Scotland.[3] He played football as a centre forward for Glasgow-based junior club Maryhill, but was not retained at the end of the 1934–35 season,[2] and moved on to nearby Petershill.[4] In November 1922, amid interest from Scottish Division One club St Johnstone,[2] he was reported to have "flung up a good job in Glasgow"[5] to make a career in English football with First Division club Aston Villa.[6] The Dundee Courier understood that Petershill "[had] come out of the deal handsomely".[2]
He played for Villa's "A" team in the Birmingham Combination,[7] but not for the first team, and soon moved on to Second Division Newcastle United.[3] He played for the club's reserve team,[8] but again, not for the first team,[1] and was listed for transfer at the end of the 1936–37 season.[9] Smyth signed for Third Division North club Darlington in August 1937,[3] and finally made his senior debut. By 26 October, he already had five league goals,[10] and he finished the season, and his Darlington career, with six goals from 19 appearances in the Football League.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 245. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
- ^ a b c d "Villa book a Scot". The Courier. Dundee. 22 November 1935. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c "Sports items". Daily Mail. Hull. 9 August 1937. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Darlington have signed Smyth, the Scottish reserve centre forward, of Newcastle United. He is a native of Clydebank, and joined Newcastle from Aston Villa.
- ^ "'Hill not so hot". Sunday Post. Dundee. 28 July 1935. p. 22 – via British Newspaper Archive.
Smyth, the new centre from Maryhill, snapped two chances cleverly.
- ^ "Smyth keeps cool". Sunday Post. Dundee. 24 November 1935. p. 24 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Football". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 22 November 1935. p. 15.
- ^ "Birmingham Combination notes". Tamworth Herald. 30 November 1935. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Smart reserves". Express and News. Burnley. 7 April 1937. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ 'Bedouin' (1 May 1937). "Under the searchlight". Sunderland Echo. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Leading scorers". Lancashire Daily Post. 26 October 1937. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- 1914 births
- People from Clydebank
- Scottish footballers
- Association football forwards
- Maryhill F.C. players
- Petershill F.C. players
- Aston Villa F.C. players
- Newcastle United F.C. players
- Darlington F.C. players
- Scottish Junior Football Association players
- English Football League players
- Sportspeople from West Dunbartonshire