Frederick Augustus Ford Smith (16 May 1887 – 23 December 1957) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a full back in the period prior to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Football career

He was born in

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.

and started his career playing in the Manchester League before signing for a fledgling Wigan Town in December 1905. His professional career began in 1906 during which he played League football for

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...

and

Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...

before giving up playing full-time to concentrate on his job as a motor mechanic in

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...

. In May 1913, he was recruited by

Southern Football League The Southern League is a men's football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from the South and Midlands of England. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English fo ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, by when he was at the "''veteran''" stage of his career. He initially played for the reserve team, where he was appointed captain. His "''clean cut, up-standing image''" had a beneficial effect on the youngsters. Following three successive defeats in October 1913, he made his first-team debut in a 2–0 defeat at

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

on 1 November, replacing

Bert Lee William Herbert Lee (11 June 1880 – 23 January 1946) was an English songwriter. He wrote for music hall and the musical stage, often in partnership with R. P. Weston. Life and career Lee was born in Ravensthorpe, Yorkshire, England.Richard A ...

at right-back. His "''determination and speed''" enabled him to retain his place for the next ten games, before giving way to

Richard Brooks Richard Brooks (May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, Oscars in his career, he was best known for ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), ''Cat on a ...

in January. Smith made a further five appearances in the latter part of the season. At the end of the season, he was struggling to retain full fitness and decided to retire to concentrate on his motor career and returned to Macclesfield.

Family

Fred was a brother to William "Buxton" Smith who played for Buxton, Manchester City, and to Lancelot who also played for Wigan Town.10 Worsley Terrace....The Story of Wigan Town
Wigan Observer: 27 December 1905: Page 8, column 3

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Fred 1887 births 1957 deaths People from Buxton Footballers from Derbyshire English footballers Association football defenders Wigan Town A.F.C. players Stockport County F.C. players Derby County F.C. players Macclesfield Town F.C. players Southampton F.C. players Southern Football League players English Football League players