Robert Smalley

Robert Edwin Smalley (1867 – 1947) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Everton.[1]

Robert Smalley
Personal information
Full name Robert Edwin Smalley
Date of birth Q2 1867
Place of birth Darwen, England
Date of death 1947 (aged 79/80)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1886–1887 Preston North End
1887–1890 Everton 36 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early career

Robert Smalley was signed by Preston North End in 1886. In the following year, May 1887, he moved to Everton and took over as No: 1 Goalkeeper from Charles Jolliffe and his Everton debut was made in October 1887 against Notts County. He played 30 matches before the Football League started in September 1888. He was described as an agile goalkeeper and was Everton' No: 1 for the next two seasons.[2]

1888-1889 Season

Robert Smalley made his League Debut on 8 September 1888, playing as goalkeeper, at Anfield, then home of Everton. The home team defeated the visitors, Accrington 2–1. Robert Smalley appeared in 18 of the 22 League games played by Everton in season 1888–89. As a goalkeeper (18 appearances) he played in an Everton defence that kept two clean sheets and restricted the opposition to one–League–goal–in–a–match on five separate occasions.[3]

1889 onwards

Smalley was retained for 1889-1890 and played 17 matches. His last season, 1890-1891 he only played once. After football he became an accountant and went back to Preston.

gollark: If perfection is bad, the thing you're optimizing for is wrong.
gollark: What? That's wrong by definition.
gollark: And really, if humans were created by an omnipotent being, why do we have so many design flaws?
gollark: As I said: what you do is quite significantly determined by your environment. This environment is entirely controlled by god, as they're omnipotent. God knows the answers in advance *anyway*, as they're omnipotent.
gollark: It's a terrible test then.

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. SoccerData. p. 240. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  2. Matthews, Tony (2004). Who's Who of Everton. Mainstream Publishing. p. 236. ISBN 1 84018 819 7.
  3. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 8 February 2018. (registration & fee required)


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