Elijah Smith (footballer)

Elijah Smith (1860 – circa 1935) was an English footballer who played for in the Football League for Stoke.[1]

Elijah Smith
Personal information
Full name Elijah Smith[1]
Date of birth 1860[1]
Place of birth Stoke-upon-Trent, England[1]
Date of death circa 1935[2]
Position(s) Half back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1882–1883 Tunstall
1883–1890 Stoke 25 (0)
1890 Stafford Road
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Smith played for local side Tunstall before joining Stoke in 1883.[1] Smith combined being a footballer with his work as a vicar at the local church because of this he was known as 'Father Smith' to his Stoke teammates.[1] He played in the club's first competitive match in the FA Cup against Manchester in a 2–1 defeat. Smith was a member of Stoke team which competed in the first season of the Football League.[1] He made his league debut on 8 September 1888, at wing-half for Stoke in a 2–0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the Victoria Ground. Smith made 21 League appearances (out of 22) in the 1888–89 season as Stoke finished bottom of the table.[1][3] He played a further four matches for Stoke before leaving in 1890 and he joined Wolverhampton based Stafford Road.[1]

Career statistics
Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke[1] 1883–84 — —1010
1884–85 — —0000
1885–86 — —2020
1886–87 — —1010
1887–88 — —4040
1888–89 The Football League 21000210
1889–90 The Football League 400040
Career total 25080330

References
  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of Stoke City. Breedon Books. p. 202. ISBN 1-85983-473-6.
  3. "English National Football Archive". Retrieved 23 March 2018. (registration & fee required)
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