Jeff Smith (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey 'Jeff' Smith is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 footballer midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 who plays for Whitby Town
Whitby Town F.C.
Whitby Town Football Club is an English football club based in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier of English football...

 in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

.

He started his career with Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

 in 1998, but a year he later moved on to Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...

, and shortly after Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland F.C.
Bishop Auckland Football Club are an English football team based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They are one of the most successful amateur sides, having won the old FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions , and losing finalists on a further 8. They currently play in the Northern League Division One. ...

. After two years at Bishop Auckland, he was signed by Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

. Rarely used by Bolton, he was instead loaned out to Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

, Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

, Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

, and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

, before he signed permanently with Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 in 2004. A regular in the first team at Vale, he left after three years to sign with Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

. In 2009 he joined Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

, but only spent one season at the club. In August 2010 he moved to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 to play one season with R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne
R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne
Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne is a Belgian association football club from the city of Charleroi, Hainaut. As of 2010, they play in Belgian Third Division B.-History:...

, before he returned to England with Whitby Town a year later.

Playing career

Smith started his footballing career at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

 in 1998, but was released a year later in 1999 after playing three league games. After his release, Smith joined non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...

 team Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...

 but failed to impress the club and was released after playing one game. After his release, Smith joined Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland F.C.
Bishop Auckland Football Club are an English football team based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They are one of the most successful amateur sides, having won the old FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions , and losing finalists on a further 8. They currently play in the Northern League Division One. ...

.

Smith's performances at Bishop Auckland were much improved and he was hailed as one of the best crossers in non-league football. In March 2001, Smith joined Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 club Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 on a short contract deal after impressing during a week-long trial. Smith wanted to show Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....

 that he could make the grade in the Football League. Smith played in the final league match of the 2000–01 season, a 1–1 draw against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

. This was a massive step up for a man who just a few months previous was working as a postal worker
Postal worker
A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL-CIO. In Canada, they are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and in the United Kingdom by the...

 whilst playing part-time for Bishop Auckland.

He signed a new contract following Bolton's promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...

 to the Premier League, but struggled to get into the first team, playing a few League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 matches. Smith was loaned to Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

 for two months to gain some experience in December 2001, and scored two goals in eight league games. He still struggled to get into the first team, playing in one league match away to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

, again the last game of the season.

In the two following seasons Smith played only a handful of League Cup and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 matches and was loaned out to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

, Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

 and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

 for brief periods at the back end of the 2003–04 season. During the three loan spells he made a combined total of just two starts and five substitute appearances, with injury also plaguing him. He was released by Wanderers in the summer.

In June 2004, Smith joined Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 on a one year contract. He was a first team regular during his first season at the club and Vale offered Smith a new contract, which he accepted.

Smith was again in and around the first team throughout the 2005–06 season, and signed a new one year deal at the end of the campaign.

Smith started the first half of the 2006–07 season very strongly, causing interest from other clubs. In January 2007, Smith joined Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

 for a fee of £60,000 on a 2½ year contract. Smith made his Carlisle début in a goalless draw at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

, scoring his first goal at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

 a week later. He was injured in a 2–1 win over Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

 after coming on as a substitute, causing him to be replaced himself. This was his last game of the campaign.

Smith was released from Carlisle at the end of 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...

 after having played just twenty games all season, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation out of League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

.

He was signed by League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

's Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

 manager Colin Todd
Colin Todd
Colin Todd is an English football manager and former player. As a player, he made more than 600 appearances in the Football League, playing for Sunderland, Derby County, Everton, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Oxford United and Luton Town, and also played in the North American Soccer League...

 in June 2009. Darlington had a poor season, relegated out of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

, eighteen points from safety, losing 32 of their 46 games, the team managed to score just 33 goals.

In July 2010 he went on trial at Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...

 side Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

, but was not offered a contract. The following month he signed a two year contract with Olympic Charleroi
R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne
Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne is a Belgian association football club from the city of Charleroi, Hainaut. As of 2010, they play in Belgian Third Division B.-History:...

 of the Belgian Third Division B
Belgian Third Division B
The Belgian Third Division B is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division A. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...

.

After one season of football in Belgium he returned to England, and spent July 2011 on trial at Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...

. In November he joined up with Whitby Town
Whitby Town F.C.
Whitby Town Football Club is an English football club based in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier of English football...

 in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...

.

Statistics

|-
|1998–99||Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...

||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

||3||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|2000–01||Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2001–02||Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

||Premier League||1||0||0||0||1||0||2||0
|-
|2001–02||Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

||8||2||0||0||0||0||8||2
|-
|2002–03||Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

||Premier League||0||0||2||0||1||0||3||0
|-
|2003–04||Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

||Premier League||0||0||2||0||0||0||2||0
|-
|2003–04||Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2003–04||Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

||1||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|2003–04||Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

||5||0||0||0||0||0||5||0
|-
|2004–05
2004–05 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2004–05 season was Port Vale's ninety-third season of football in the Football League, and first in the newly created League One. Martin Foyle's first full season in charge, Vale survived a relegation dogfight to finish in eighteenth place...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||34||1||2||0||1||0||39||1
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Port Vale's ninety-fourth season of football in the Football League, and second successive season in League One. They finished in mid-table, and exited the League Cup at the First Round and the League Trophy at the Second Round. In the FA Cup, Vale made it to the Fourth...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||27||1||2||0||0||0||30||2
|-
|2006–07
2006–07 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2006–07 season was Port Vale's ninety-fifth season of football in the Football League, and third successive season in League One. Martin Foyle's side again finished in mid-table, whilst exiting the FA Cup and the League Trophy at the Second Round...

||Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||27||3||2||0||4||1||34||4
|-
|2006–07||Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||17||1||0||0||0||0||17||1
|-
|2007–08||Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||22||1||2||0||2||0||28||1
|-
|2008–09||Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....

||League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||16||0||3||0||1||0||20||0
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Football League
The Football League 2009–10, called the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, was the 110th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2009 and concluded in May 2010, with the promotion play-off finals. The Football League is contested through three Divisions. The...

||Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

||League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

||24||0||1||0||1||0||28||0
|-

|-
|2010–11||Olympic Charleroi
R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne
Royal Olympic Club de Charleroi-Marchienne is a Belgian association football club from the city of Charleroi, Hainaut. As of 2010, they play in Belgian Third Division B.-History:...

||Third Division B
Belgian Third Division B
The Belgian Third Division B is one of the two leagues at the third level of the Belgian football league system, the other one being the Belgian Third Division A. This division has existed since the 1952-53 season and is played every year with 16 clubs...

||12||1||0||0||0||0||12||1
|-
187||9||16||0||11||0||223||11
12||1||0||0||0||0||12||1
199||10||16||0||11||0||235||12

Notes:
  • Football League Trophy
    Football League Trophy
    The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

     results included in totals.
  • Barrow, Bishop Auckland and Whitby Town statistics not known.

Honours

with Bishop Auckland
  • Durham Challenge Cup
    Durham Challenge Cup
    The Durham County Challenge Cup is an annual football competition held between the clubs of the Durham County Football Association which was first played in 1884...

     winner:
    2001


with Bolton Wanderers
  • Football League First Division
    Football League First Division
    The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

     play-off winner:
    2001
    2001 Football League First Division play-off Final
    The 2001 Football League First Division play-off Final was contested by Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End. Bolton won the match 3–0, taking them back to the Premier League. Bolton have stayed in the top flight since.- Details :...


External links

(Hartlepool United stats not included) (Hartlepool United stats only)
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