Ron Smith (footballer, born 1936)

Ronald Smith (born 7 June 1936) is an English former footballer who played on the left-wing. He scored 62 goals in 426 appearances over a thirteen-year career.

Ron Smith
Personal information
Full name Ronald Smith[1]
Date of birth (1936-06-07) 7 June 1936[1]
Place of birth Liverpool, England[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Playing position(s) Left winger
Youth career
1954 Stoke City
1955–1957 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1959 Liverpool 0 (0)
1959–1961 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 36 (6)
1961–1963 Crewe Alexandra 90 (11)
1963–1965 Port Vale 59 (6)
1965–1967 Southport 79 (14)
1967–1970 Altrincham 93 (14)
1975–19?? Formby
Total 357 (51)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Failing to make the grade at Liverpool, he transferred to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in 1959. He spent two years with the club before moving to Crewe Alexandra in July 1961. He helped Crewe to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1962–63, before he was sold on to Port Vale for a £6,500 fee in October 1963. In April 1965 he was allowed to join Southport, where he again won promotion out of the fourth tier in 1966–67. Following this he joined Altrincham, where he lifted the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup in 1970.

Playing career

Smith had trials with Stoke City, but after his discharge from National service he was signed to Liverpool on amateur terms in 1955.[2] He turned professional in 1957, but left the club for Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in 1959, having never turned out for the first team.[2] He made his debut for Bournemouth in the Third Division against Reading in October 1959.[2] He scored three goals in ten games in 1959–60, two goals coming from penalty kicks.[2] He scored four times in thirty games in 1960–61, before he was transferred to Fourth Division side Crewe Alexandra in July 1961.[2]

Establishing himself in the first team at Gresty Road in 1961–62 by missing just three league games, he helped the club to win promotion in third place in 1962–63, scoring five goals in forty league games.[2] He played nine games in 1963–64 before he was once again moved on.[2]

He was signed by Freddie Steele's Third Division Port Vale for £6,500 in October 1963.[1] He was a regular from his inception in the side, and posted 39 appearances in 1963–64, scoring five goals.[1] He lost his first team place on Boxing Day 1964, when he damaged an eye in a 3–0 defeat to Hull City.[1] Upon his recovery he failed to regain his spot and was given a free transfer in April 1965, having scored twice in 28 appearances in 1964–65.[1]

He moved on to Fourth Division Southport, who were managed by his former Vale teammate Billy Bingham.[2] He was an ever-present in 1965–66, before he helped the "Sandgrounders" to win promotion as runners-up in 1966–67.[2]

He was given a free transfer to Cheshire County League side Altrincham in 1967.[2] After a second-place finish in 1967–68, the club became founder members of the Northern Premier League.[2] He played 34 league games of the inaugural 1968–69 season, before he won the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup with the club in 1970, after victory over Macclesfield Town.[2] He left the club at the end of the 1969–70 campaign. Upon leaving Moss Lane he turned out for Netherfield, then moved to Formby where he debuted in November 1975 a week after Alex Russell and played alongside his old Southport teammate Ambrose Clarke. He left the club for Fleetwood Hesketh.[2] He stayed involved in Formby for many years, managing their reserves side, and later returned as first team manager in the mid 1980s, steering them to their second Liverpool Senior Cup final in 1985.

Statistics

Source:[3]

Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other[4] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool1957–58Second Division0000000000
1958–59Second Division0000000000
Total 0000000000
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic1959–60Third Division93100000103
1960–61Third Division273211000304
Total 366311000407
Crewe Alexandra1961–62Fourth Division416321000458
1962–63Fourth Division405300000435
1963–64Third Division9000000090
Total 90116210009713
Port Vale1963–64Third Division345500000395
1964–65Third Division251211000282
Total 596711000677
Southport1965–66Fourth Division4687310005411
1966–67Fourth Division336100000346
Total 79148310008817
Altrincham1967–68Cheshire County League3481000120478
1968–69Northern Premier League3422000124486
1969–70Northern Premier League2541000141405
Total 9314400038513519
Career total 357512874038542763

Honours
Crewe Alexandra
Southport
Altrincham
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References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 274. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. Rowley, Terry. "Altrincham Football Club Legends Section Twenty Four Profiles". homepage.ntlworld.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  3. Ron Smith at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  4. Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Trophy, Northern Premier League Challenge Cup & Cheshire Senior Cup.
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