Nigel Smith (footballer, born 1958)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Nigel Paul Smith[1] | ||
Date of birth | 3 January 1958 | ||
Place of birth | Banstead, England | ||
Position(s) | Central defender | ||
Youth career | |||
Banstead Athletic | |||
Queens Park Rangers | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1975–1978 | Brentford | 85 | (0) |
1978–1979 | Cambridge United | 1 | (0) |
Woking | |||
Metropolitan Police | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Nigel Paul Smith (born 3 January 1958) is an English former professional footballer who played as a central defender in the Football League for Brentford and Cambridge United.[2]
Club career
Early years
Smith began his career with hometown club Banstead Athletic, before moving to the reserve team at Division Two side Queens Park Rangers, making 20 appearances.[3]
Brentford
When former Queens Park Rangers coach John Docherty became manager of Division Four side Brentford in January 1975,[3] he signed Smith for the Griffin Park club four months later.[4] He went straight into the starting lineup and was a regular during the 1975–76 and 1976–77 seasons.[3] After the appointment of Bill Dodgin, he fell out of favour and made just a handful of appearances during the 1977–78 promotion-clinching season.[3] Smith had his contract cancelled and departed the Bees in October 1978,[4] having made 96 appearances for the club.[3]
Cambridge United
Smith up to Division Two to sign for Cambridge United in November 1978, but made just one substitute appearance for the club.[1]
Non-league football
Smith saw out his career with spells at Isthmian League sides Woking and Metropolitan Police.[1]
International career
During the 1975–76 season, Smith was called up to train with the England U18 squad, but failed to appear in a match.[3] He later represented the England Police team.[4]
Personal life
After quitting professional football, Smith joined the Metropolitan Police.[4]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Brentford | 1974–75[5] | Fourth Division | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
1975–76[5] | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | ||
1976–77[5] | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
1977–78[5] | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
1978–79[5] | Third Division | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Career total | 85 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 94 | 0 |
References
- ^ a b c "Barry Hugman's Footballers – Nigel Smith". hugmansfootballers.com. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
- ^ "Nigel Smith". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. p. 149. ISBN 978-0955294914.
- ^ a b c d Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 275. ISBN 978-1906796709.
- ^ a b c d e White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. pp. 393–395. ISBN 0951526200.
External links
- Nigel Smith at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- 1958 births
- Living people
- People from Banstead
- English footballers
- Association football defenders
- Brentford F.C. players
- Cambridge United F.C. players
- Metropolitan Police F.C. players
- Banstead Athletic F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Isthmian League players
- Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
- Woking F.C. players
- English football defender, 1950s birth stubs