Smith Billy Image 1 Huddersfield Town 1922

Description

Not to be confused with his somewhat more illustrious Huddersfield Town team mate, Sheffield born inside forward Billy Smith joined Huddersfield Town in May 1919 and made his Football League debut in a First Division match at Bradford Park Avenue in January 1921, making one further appearance in the return match a week later and then a single appearance the following season in a defeat at Everton in April 1922. Leaving Huddersfield in the summer of 1923 he initially joined Southend United as a trialist in August 1923 but signed permanently for Hartlepools United the next month, and although the team were struggling towards the bottom of the Third Division (North), Smith top scored in both his seasons with the club and achieved a notable feat, when playing in an FA Cup tie against St Peter’s Albion in November 1923 when he scored 7 goals in a 10-1 victory. He also scored a hat-trick against Walsall on New Year’s Day 1925 in a 3-1 victory, scoring 30 goals in 47 appearances for The Pools.

He left Victoria Park to join Rochdale in July 1925 but scored only twice for ‘Dale in 10 appearances as they finished third in the Third Division (North) before moving to Halifax Town in August 1926, where he scored 10 goals in 34 appearances during a single season stay at The Shay, when Halifax finished fourth in the same division. He then joined Barrow in June 1927, scoring 7 times in 37 appearances before a move to non league Manchester Central in 1928, from where he joined Caernarvon Town in 1929.