David Smyth (footballer)

David Smyth (1913/1914 – after 1937) was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Darlington.[1] He played for Scottish junior clubs Maryhill and Petershill, and was on the books of Aston Villa and Newcastle United in England without playing first-team football for either.

David Smyth
Personal information
Full name David Smyth[1]
Date of birth 1913/1914[2]
Place of birth Clydebank, Scotland
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
19??–1935 Maryhill
1935 Petershill
1935–1936 Aston Villa 0 (0)
1936–1937 Newcastle United 0 (0)
1937–1938 Darlington 19 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Smyth was born in Clydebank, Scotland.[3] He played football as a centre forward for Glasgow-based junior club Maryhill, but was not retained at the end of the 1934–35 season,[2] and moved on to nearby Petershill.[4] In November 1922, amid interest from Scottish Division One club St Johnstone,[2] he was reported to have "flung up a good job in Glasgow"[5] to make a career in English football with First Division club Aston Villa.[6] The Dundee Courier understood that Petershill "[had] come out of the deal handsomely".[2]

He played for Villa's "A" team in the Birmingham Combination,[7] but not for the first team, and soon moved on to Second Division Newcastle United.[3] He played for the club's reserve team,[8] but again, not for the first team,[1] and was listed for transfer at the end of the 1936–37 season.[9] Smyth signed for Third Division North club Darlington in August 1937,[3] and finally made his senior debut. By 26 October, he already had five league goals,[10] and he finished the season, and his Darlington career, with six goals from 19 appearances in the Football League.[1]

References

  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 245. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. "Villa book a Scot". The Courier. Dundee. 22 November 1935. p. 9 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Sports items". Daily Mail. Hull. 9 August 1937. p. 9 via British Newspaper Archive. Darlington have signed Smyth, the Scottish reserve centre forward, of Newcastle United. He is a native of Clydebank, and joined Newcastle from Aston Villa.
  4. "'Hill not so hot". Sunday Post. Dundee. 28 July 1935. p. 22 via British Newspaper Archive. Smyth, the new centre from Maryhill, snapped two chances cleverly.
  5. "Smyth keeps cool". Sunday Post. Dundee. 24 November 1935. p. 24 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Football". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 22 November 1935. p. 15.
  7. "Birmingham Combination notes". Tamworth Herald. 30 November 1935. p. 2 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Smart reserves". Express and News. Burnley. 7 April 1937. p. 6 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. 'Bedouin' (1 May 1937). "Under the searchlight". Sunderland Echo. p. 8 via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Leading scorers". Lancashire Daily Post. 26 October 1937. p. 9 via British Newspaper Archive.
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