Shaun Smith (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Gareth Shaun Smith is an English
former footballer
. Smith spent the majority of his career at Crewe Alexandra
, playing in 399 League games and 400+ overall.
The highlight of Smith's career came when he scored the winner for Crewe Alexandra in their 1-0 victory
over Brentford
in the 1997 Division Two play-off
final. This took Crewe into the second tier of English football for the first time in around a century. He had also played in the 1993 Third division final at Wembley, which Crewe lost on penalties to York City
. During the first division era Smith played mostly at left back for Crewe and was popular with the supporters despite never being a big star. He won the supporter's player of the year award in 2000-01. Smith eventually left Crewe in the summer of 2002 to join Hull City
, and a year later had two joint testimonial games (alongside fellow player Steve Macauley
) at Crewe's Alexandra Stadium against Merseyside
clubs Liverpool
and Everton
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. Smith spent the majority of his career at Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, playing in 399 League games and 400+ overall.
The highlight of Smith's career came when he scored the winner for Crewe Alexandra in their 1-0 victory
1997 Football League Second Division play-off Final
The 1997 Football League Second Division play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 1997, at the end of the 1996–97 season. It was the 11th play-off final in all at the third level of English football...
over 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....
in the 1997 Division Two play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
final. This took Crewe into the second tier of English football for the first time in around a century. He had also played in the 1993 Third division final at Wembley, which Crewe lost on penalties to York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
. During the first division era Smith played mostly at left back for Crewe and was popular with the supporters despite never being a big star. He won the supporter's player of the year award in 2000-01. Smith eventually left Crewe in the summer of 2002 to join Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, and a year later had two joint testimonial games (alongside fellow player Steve Macauley
Steve Macauley
Steve Macauley is an ex-professional footballer, who played primarily at centre half. He began his career at Manchester City as a trainee. After a brief spell at local side Fleetwood, he joined Crewe Alexandra in March 1992 for a fee of £25,000...
) at Crewe's Alexandra Stadium against Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
clubs Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.