| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1873-12-25)25 December 1873 | ||
| Place of birth | Darvel, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 6 January 1905(1905-01-06) (aged 31) | ||
| Place of death | Kilmarnock, Scotland | ||
| Position | Fullback | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vale of Irvine | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Royal Albert | |||
| 1891–1893 | Darvel | ||
| 1893–1904 | Rangers | 168 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 1897–1904 | Scottish League XI | 9 | (1) |
| 1897–1902 | Scotland | 12 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nicol Smith (25 December 1873 – 6 January 1905) was aScottishfootballer who played forRangers.
Born inDarvel,Ayrshire, Smith played as afullback for local sides Vale of Irvine,Royal Albert andDarvel,[1] earningjunior international selection,[2] before joining Rangers in 1893.[3] He made only twoleague appearances in his first season at the club, but by1893–94, he had established himself in the Rangers team, missing just one of the 18 league fixtures.[4] During that season he was also responsible for bringingAlex Smith (who came from the same village but was not a relation) to the club, and the winger went on to become an important member of the side for the next 20 years.[5]
Smith was part of Rangers' first everScottish Cup win in 1894, playing in all six games, including the 3–1 final win overCeltic. He formed an effective partnership in the defence alongsideJock Drummond for over a decade,[2] and made over 300 competitive appearances.[4]
Smith was alsocapped at international level, making 12 appearances forScotland, two ascaptain. He also represented theScottish League XI nine times.[6]
In January 1905, aged 31, Smith died fromenteric fever, an illness which also caused his wife's simultaneous death.[3][2]
His sonJimmy was also a footballer who played as a winger, also for Rangers but primarily forAberdeen in the 1920s[7] (not to be confused with theRangers striker of that name in the same era).
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