Jimmy Smith (footballer born 1889)
Encyclopedia
James "Jimmy" Smith was an English professional footballer who scored 49 goals from 90 appearances in the Football League
playing as a centre forward for Bradford (Park Avenue).
Smith was born in Stafford
, Staffordshire
. He was a prolific scorer in local football in the Hanley area, but began his professional career with Southern League
club Brighton & Hove Albion in January 1911. He was the club's top scorer in the 1911–12 season with 27 goals in all competitions. In November 1912, he moved into the Football League
, joining Bradford
for the substantial fee of £735 plus inside forward
Bobby Simpson. Smith played 90 League games for Bradford, scoring at better than a goal every two games and helping them earn promotion to the First Division
in 1914, before the First World War interrupted his career.
He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery
, and was killed in action on the Western Front
in 1918, a few weeks before he was due to get married. He is buried in the British Cemetery at Ramicourt
, Aisne
, France.
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...
playing as a centre forward for Bradford (Park Avenue).
Smith was born in Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He was a prolific scorer in local football in the Hanley area, but began his professional career with Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
club Brighton & Hove Albion in January 1911. He was the club's top scorer in the 1911–12 season with 27 goals in all competitions. In November 1912, he moved into 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...
, joining Bradford
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
for the substantial fee of £735 plus inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
Bobby Simpson. Smith played 90 League games for Bradford, scoring at better than a goal every two games and helping them earn promotion to the 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....
in 1914, before the First World War interrupted his career.
He served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
, and was killed in action on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in 1918, a few weeks before he was due to get married. He is buried in the British Cemetery at Ramicourt
Ramicourt
Ramicourt is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
, Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
, France.