John Eric Smith (29 July 1934 – 12 June 1991) was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a right half for Celtic, Leeds United and Greenock Morton in the 1950s and 1960s. He was capped twice for the Scotland national football team and later managed Morton, Hamilton Academical and Sharjah FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Eric Smith[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 29 July 1934 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland- | ||
| Date of death | 12 June 1991 (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||
| Position(s) | Right half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1951-1952 | Pollok | ||
| 1952-1953 | Benburb | ||
| 1954–1960 | Celtic | 95 | (12) |
| 1960–1963 | Leeds United | 65 | (3) |
| 1964–1966 | Morton | 35 | (3) |
| Total | 195 | (18) | |
| International career | |||
| 1959[2] | SFL trial v SFA | 1 | (0) |
| 1959 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1972 | Morton | ||
| 1972–1978 | Hamilton Academical | ||
| 1978 | Sharjah | ||
| 1986–1989 | Pezoporikos Larnaca | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editSmith began his professional career at Celtic in the 1954–55 season[3] and gained two caps for the Scotland national football team in 1959. He did not win any major honours during his spell, finishing on the losing side in the 1956 Scottish Cup Final - Celtic won two Scottish League Cups in the period, but Smith was not selected for either final.
He joined Leeds United in 1960 when the club was in decline, and performed heroically during the 1961–62 season when Leeds battled against relegation to the Third Division. Smith's career at Elland Road ended when he suffered a double-fracture of the leg during a home game against Chelsea in September 1962. He joined Morton in 1964 where he played for two seasons and later became manager.
Managerial career
editSmith managed Morton briefly in 1972 and then managed Hamilton Academical for five seasons from 1972–73 to 1977–78. He then briefly managed Sharjah FC in the United Arab Emirates in 1978. He then managed Cypriot club Pezoporikos Larnaca from 1986 to 1989. The club won the 1987–88 Cypriot First Division and then entered the 1988–89 European Cup, where they were beaten in the first round by Swedish champions IFK Gothenburg.
Honours
editCeltic
- Scottish Cup: Runners-up 1955–56[4]
- Glasgow Charity Cup: 1958–59[5]
Morton
- Renfrewshire Cup: 1965–66[6]
Pezoporikos Larnaca
Career statistics
editLeeds United
edit| Club | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Leeds United | 65 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 3 | |
References
edit- ^ "Eric Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ The selectors still have problems Archived 14 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Bulletin, 17 March 1959
- ^ Celtic player Smith, Eric, FitbaStats
- ^ "Eric Smith". OZ Whites LUFC. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ "Celtic show little charity to Clyde". Glasgow Herald. Celtic Wiki. 11 May 1959. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- ^ "1965/66 Renfrewshire Cup Final 1L". SMFC Programmes. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
- Mourant, Andrew (1992). Leeds United: Player by Player. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 22. ISBN 0-85112-568-9.
External links
edit- Eric Smith at the Scottish Football Association
- Eric Smith at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
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