Philip Smith (footballer, born 1885)

Philip Smith (1885 – 29 September 1918) was an English footballer who played at centre-forward for Burslem Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra, Chelsea, Burnley, and Stalybridge Celtic. He was killed in action during World War I.[2]

Philip Smith
Personal information
Date of birth 1885[1]
Place of birth Newcastle-under-Lyme, England[1]
Date of death 29 September 1918(1918-09-29) (aged 32–33)[2]
Place of death Pas-de-Calais, France
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
Knutton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1905–1906 Burslem Port Vale 25 (8)
Crewe Alexandra
1910 Chelsea 1 (0)
1910–1911 Burnley 7 (0)
1911–1912 Crewe Alexandra
Stalybridge Celtic
Total 25 (8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Smith played for Knutton before joining Burslem Port Vale in August 1905.[3] After making his debut in a 3–1 defeat to Lincoln City at Sincil Bank on 2 September, he became a regular in the first-team.[3] He got his first League goal seven days later, in a 4–3 win over Chesterfield at the Athletic Ground.[3] He claimed eight goals in 25 Second Division appearances in the 1905–06 season.[3] However, he was later released, most likely in the summer of 1906.[3] He later played for Crewe Alexandra, before joining Chelsea for a £250 fee in April 1910.[1] He played one First Division match for the club, a 1–0 defeat at Bristol City on 16 April 1910.[1] He left Chelsea in October 1910 and went on to play for Burnley and Stalybridge Celtic.

Personal life

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Smith was the older brother of footballer Joe Smith.[4] He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery during World War I and was killed in action whilst fighting in the Western Front on 29 September 1918.[2]

Career statistics

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  • Sourced by Philip Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Burslem Port Vale 1905–06 Second Division 25 8 1 0 3 1 29 9
Chelsea 1909–10 First Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Burnley 1910–11 Second Division 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 33 8 1 0 3 1 37 9

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Philip Smith Player Profile on Stamford-Bridge.com". stamford-bridge.com. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Philip Smith | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 273. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  4. ^ "What happened when war made football grind to a halt at Wanderers". The Bolton News. Retrieved 9 March 2019.