| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Christopher Reginald Smith | ||
| Date of birth | (1912-01-20)20 January 1912 | ||
| Place of birth | Battersea, England | ||
| Date of death | 6 January 2004(2004-01-06) (aged 91) | ||
| Place of death | Stevenage, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position | Outside left | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1931–1935 | Hitchin Town | ||
| 1935–1946 | Millwall | 117 | (21) |
| 1946–1948 | Dundee | ||
| International career | |||
| 1938 | England | 2 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1948 | Corby Town | ||
| 1954–1957 | Dundee United | ||
| 1957–1959 | Falkirk[1] | ||
| 1959–1961 | Millwall | ||
| 1961 | Addington | ||
| 1961–1963 | Bedford Town | ||
| Addington | |||
| Cape Town Spurs | |||
| 1971–1972 | Bedford Town | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Christopher Reginald Smith (20 January 1912 – 6 January 2004), was an Englishfootball player and manager who played as anoutside left.
The son of a South Africanrugby union international, Smith began his career as an amateur withHitchin Town in the early 1930s, playing in one of that club's finest teams and helping them to the Spartan League title in 1935, before turning professional when he joinedMillwall later that year.
After a slow start atThe Den, Smith came to terms with professional football in1936–37, helping his new side toFA Cup semi-finals, the first time a team from the third tier of English football had reached that stage. In the1937–38 season Smith enjoyed even greater success, as Millwall hurtled to theDivision Three South title, while also claiming the London FA Challenge Cup by defeatingCrystal Palace.
Smith became Millwall's last fullEngland internationalist in 1938, when he was selected for two games in seven days in November, despite only playing in the English second tier at the time. He scored twice on his debut versusNorway in a 4–0 win, but didn't score in a 7–0 defeat ofNorthern Ireland.
When theSecond World War broke out in 1939, Smith, like many other footballers, found his career disrupted. He joined theRAF and continued to appear sporadically for Millwall when his military schedule allowed. He was transferred toRAF Leuchars in Fife in 1944 and subsequently turned out forDundee as aguest in the war-time North-Eastern League. When the hostilities finished, he joined theDark Blues on a permanent deal in March 1946, helping them to the B Division title in1946–47.
In 1948, Smith was appointed player-manager ofCorby Town upon the club's formation but left after only a couple of months for family reasons, returning north to Dundee where he became a coach. He moved into management withDundee United in September 1954, leaving his coaching post at rivalsDundee to join United. After two seasons of steady mid-table finishes, he resigned to take over as manager ofFalkirk (then bottom of Division One) in January 1957. Three months later, Smith had saved theBairns from relegation and led his new club to victory in theScottish Cup.
In the summer of 1959, Smith was approached by old club Millwall to replaceJimmy Seed as manager, and he returned to the Londoners for the beginning of the1959–60 season. His side started well, setting a Millwall record 19 match unbeaten run. However, a high proportion of draws ensured they finished no higher than 5th, just missing out on promotion fromDivision Four. Despite challenging at the top of the table again the following season, Millwall sacked Smith in January 1961, replacing him with assistantRon Gray. He then moved to South Africa to become manager ofAddington, but returned to England later in the year when he was appointed manager ofBedford Town in November 1961.[2] He resigned in September 1963, but was persuaded to stay on until December.[2] He subsequently returned to Addington and then managedCape Town City F.C. before returning to Bedford in November 1971, remaining in post until June 1972.[2] He was appointed assistant manager atStevenage Athletic for the 1972–73 season, before going on to work at a computer company.[2]
Millwall
Dundee
Falkirk
