Playing Career
After spells with Whitehall Printers and Dewsbury Moor Welfare, Smith started his professional career with Huddersfield Town in 1932. He made his debut under Clem Stephenson in the 1932–33 campaign, and scored his first First Division goal on 7 January, in a 1–0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He then scored in a 4–0 win over Newcastle United at Leeds Road on 11 February, and seven days later bagged two goals against Aston Villa in a 3–0 win at Villa Park. He added to his tally with strikes against Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Manchester City, and two against Arsenal, to finish his debut season with nine goals in 15 appearances.
He scored 15 goals in 24 league games in 1933–34, as the "Terriers" finished as runners-up, three points behind Arsenal. After just six goalless appearances in the 1934–35 campaign, he left Yorkshire to join Newcastle United, who had just recently lost their top-flight status. He was one of manager Tom Mather's first signings. Smith scored 16 goals to finish as the club's top scorer, though they finished ten points short of Bolton Wanderers in the promotion places. Smith continued to be the "Magpies" main target man in 1935–36, scoring 26 goals, though Newcastle again finished with 46 points, this time nine points behind second placed Charlton Athletic. The 1936–37 season was his final full season at St James' Park, and Smith scored 24 goals; this time Newcastle finished fourth, six points behind promoted Blackpool.
Newcastle faced a relegation battle in 1937–38, and Smith was transferred to Walter Crickmer's Manchester United for a club record £6,500 in February 1938. He scored on his debut in a win over Barnsley at Oakwell on 2 February, and totalled eight goals in 1937–38, as United finished in second place and were thus promoted back into the top-flight. The "Red Devils" then consolidated their First Division status with a 14th place finish in 1938–39, Smith scoring six goals. The outbreak of World War II then meant that the Football League was suspended for seven whole seasons. Smith was prolific in the War League Western Division in 1939–40, scoring 16 goals in United's 22 matches. He stayed at Old Trafford in 1940–41, bagging 26 goals in the War League North Regional League, including five against Blackburn Rovers on 28 December. In 1941–42 he hit 18 goals, as United finished fourth in the first edition of the War League North Regional League, before winning the second instalment of the competition.
Smith hit 36 goals in 1942–43, hitting hat-tricks against Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Wrexham (home and away), Everton, and Crewe Alexandra. He stayed on for the 1943–44 season, and hit 35 goals, bagging hat-tricks against Stockport County, Oldham Athletic, and Burnley; United finished second behind Blackpool in the first instalment of the regional league. He scored nine goals in 1944–45, and hit a hat-trick past Burnley in front of newly appointed manager Matt Busby. Smith struck 17 times in 1945–46, including once against Accrington Stanley at Peel Park in first edition of the FA Cup since the outbreak of war. He did not, however, score a goal during the 1946–47 campaign, as Busby led his team to a second place finish in the First Division, one point behind Liverpool.
Officially, Smith is recognised as having scored 15 league and cup goals for United during his career, but he also scored over 150 goals during the war. These goals are not counted towards the official total as they are classified as "friendlies". During the war he also gusted for Burnley and Blackburn Rovers. He left Manchester United after 15 goals in 41 league and cup games, to join Gordon Hodgson's Port Vale for a four-figure fee in May 1947. He scored on the penultimate day of the 1946–47 season, in a 4–2 win over Crystal Palace at The Old Recreation Ground. Smith enjoyed regular football until he pulled a stomach muscle in November 1947, which kept him out of action for four months. He recovered by March 1947 and regained him first team spot, but refused new terms at the end of the 1947–48 season and was transferred to Cheshire County League side Macclesfield Town, having scored 10 goals for the "Valiants" in 29 appearances in the Third Division South.
Read more about this topic: Jack Smith (footballer Born 1915)
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