John Smith (sportsman, born 1855)

John Smith

Personal information
Date of birth	12 August 1855
Place of birth	Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland
Date of death	16 November 1934(1934-11-16) (aged 79)
Place of death	Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Position(s)	Inside-Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1877–1879	Mauchline
1880–1881	Edinburgh University
1881–1884	Queen's Park
1884–1888	Corinthian FC
International career‡
1877–1884	Scotland	10	(10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full Back Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) - Edinburgh University Edinburgh Wanderers () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1876 1876 Edinburgh District East of Scotland District () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1888 British and Irish Lions 9 (0)

Dr. John Smith (12 August 1855 – 16 November 1934) was a Scottish footballer of the 1870s and 1880s. He is also notable for playing rugby union and was a member of the first British Lions team that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1888.

Football career

Amateur career

Smith began playing football at Mauchline F.C. before transferring to Edinburgh University while he studied. After completing his studies in the early 1880s he joined Queen's Park

At Queen's Park he won the Scottish Cup in 1881, 1882 and 1884. He became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Scottish Cup final when he scored all three of Queen's Park's goals in the 1881 final replay against Dumbarton. He was not selected to play in the 1882 final and no match took place in 1884 – Queen's Park were awarded the trophy after Vale of Leven failed to appear. In 1884 Smith was part of the Queen's Park team that reached the FA Cup Final, losing 2–1 to Blackburn Rovers.

Professional career

Smith often played under the pseudonym J.C. Miller and J.S. Miller. He also played occasionally as a guest for the Corinthians, Swifts and Liverpool Ramblers. He was banned from playing for or against any Scottish club or the Scottish national team in 1885 after he played for Corinthians against a professional English club, thus breaching the Scottish Football Association's amateur regulations.

International career

By the 1880s he had already made several appearances for the Scotland national team.

He earned ten caps in total for Scotland, scoring 10 goals.

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 April 1879	Kennington Oval, London	England	3–1	4–5	Friendly
2	7 April 1879	Acton Park, Wrexham	Wales	2–0	3–0	Friendly
3	7 April 1879	Acton Park, Wrexham	Wales	3–0	3–0	Friendly
4	12 March 1881	Kennington Oval, London	England	1–0	6–1	Friendly
5	12 March 1881	Kennington Oval, London	England	3–1	6–1	Friendly
6	12 March 1881	Kennington Oval, London	England	5–1	6–1	Friendly
7	10 March 1883	Bramall Lane, Sheffield	England	1–0	3–2	Friendly
8	10 March 1883	Bramall Lane, Sheffield	England	2–1	3–2	Friendly
9	12 March 1883	Acton Park, Wrexham	Wales	1–0	3–0	Friendly
10	15 March 1884	Cathkin Park, Glasgow	England	1–0	1–0	British Home Championship

Referee career

Smith sometimes officiated as a football referee.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

As well as football, Smith also played rugby union. He played as a forward for Edinburgh University and Edinburgh Wanderers.

Provincial career

He was capped by Edinburgh District.

He was also capped by East of Scotland District.

International career

In 1876 was a reserve for the Scottish national rugby team.

In 1888 he was selected as a member of the British and Irish Lions team to tour New Zealand and Australia. His skills as a player were called upon on nine occasions, though he failed to score in any of the matches.

Referee career

His primary role on the 1888 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia was to act as the team's tour referee.

Medical career

As a physician, he practised in Brycehall, Kirkcaldy.

External links

• John Smith at the Scottish Football Association
• Profile at IFFHS