Lionel Smith (soccer player)
| Lionel Smith | ||
| Personnel | ||
|---|---|---|
| Surname | Lionel Smith | |
| birthday | 23rd August 1920 | |
| place of birth | Mexborough , England | |
| date of death | November 8, 1980 | |
| Place of death | Stoke Newington , England | |
| position | Defense (left) | |
| Juniors | ||
| Years | station | |
| Denaby United | ||
| Men's | ||
| Years | station | Games (goals) 1 |
| 1939-1954 | Arsenal FC | 162 (0) |
| 1954-1955 | Watford FC | 7 (0) |
| 1955-1960 | Gravesend & Northfleet | |
| National team | ||
| Years | selection | Games (goals) |
| 1950-1953 | England | 6 (0) |
| Stations as a trainer | ||
| Years | station | |
| 1955-1960 | Gravesend & Northfleet | |
| 1 Only league games are given. | ||
Lionel Smith (born August 23, 1920 in Mexborough , † November 8, 1980 in Stoke Newington ) was an English football player . As a left defender he was a regular at Arsenal FC between 1948 and 1953 and won the English championship in 1953 . In addition, he completed six full international matches for the English national team.
Athletic career
Smith joined Arsenal FC just before the outbreak of World War II . After he was first signed on an amateur basis, he signed a professional contract in August 1939. Since regular league operations were suspended for many years after the fighting began, he only ran a total of 17 times for the “Gunners” in so-called “war game competitions”. Otherwise he served as a soldier ( sapper ) with the Royal Engineers . When the league game operations were resumed in the 1946/47 season, Smith continued his football career. Although he was only once settled in the reserve eleven, he led them as team captain.
On the usual outside position in the defensive network, his chances in the first team were low, as Laurie Scott and Walley Barnes were top-class competitors. Smith made his debut in the unfamiliar position of center runner as a substitute for Leslie Compton . The game on the last day of the 1947/48 season ended on May 1, 1948 against Grimsby Town with an 8-0 victory, but was ultimately irrelevant because Arsenal had already mathematically wrapped up the English championship and the opponent when bottom of the table was relegated. From the 1948/49 season he conquered a regular place on the left side of defense with 32 league appearances after Scott had sustained a number of injuries and Barnes had switched to his side. In addition to his speed, his strengths included good ball distribution, which he often used to initiate counter situations with long balls.
In the following four years Smith remained a constant in Arsenal's defense network and in the 1951/52 season he reached the final of the FA Cup , in which he was defeated by Newcastle United 0-1 - with the Gunners due to a serious injury to Walley Barnes Had to play undernumbered for almost an hour. Two years earlier, he was still missing in the victorious 1950 Cup final against Liverpool (2-0). Biggest success was in the 1952/53 season winning the English championship, to which Smith contributed 31 games. In addition, he had accumulated six full international matches for England in the years 1950 to 1953 , although he was already 30 years old at the time of his debut against Wales (4-2) on November 15, 1950. His last international match ended a good two and a half years later (on April 18, 1953) with a 2-2 draw against Scotland .
Shortly after winning the championship, the now 33-year-old Smith lost his regular seat. He moved in June 1954 to the third-rate Third Division South for Watford FC and worked after only seven appearances in the 1954/55 season in the Southern League between 1955 and 1960 at Gravesend & Northfleet as a player-coach . The team, which also hosted other ex-Arsenal players such as Jimmy Logie and Arthur Shaw , won the Southern League championship in the 1957/58 season. Twenty years after his last football stint, Smith passed away at the age of 60.
Title / Awards
- English champion (1): 1953
- Charity Shield (1): 1948
Web links
- Statistical data from the Post War English & Scottish Football League AZ Player's Database
- Profile on barryhugmansfootballers.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lionel Smith (11v11.com)
- ^ Lionel Smith; Arsenal 1939 to 1955 (The History of Arsenal)
- ↑ Lionel Smith (Arsenal.com)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smith, Lionel |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English soccer player and coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 23rd August 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mexborough , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 8, 1980 |
| Place of death | Stoke Newington , England |