Alf Smith (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Alf Smith was a footballer who made 20 appearances for Port Vale
from 1913 to 1918.
before joining Port Vale
in December 1913 and managed to play in the FA Cup
first round clash at Bolton Wanderers
on 10 January 1914, which was lost 3–0. He enjoyed regular football until his conscription
in the summer
of 1914. After two years of fighting he was seriously wounded, but by the time he returned to Burslem
in September 1918 he was fit enough to play, which 'caused him so much pleasure'. However he developed complications from his wound in November 1918 and was unable to play again.
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
from 1913 to 1918.
Playing career
Smith played for Hamilton AcademicalsHamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
before joining Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in December 1913 and managed to play in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
first round clash at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on 10 January 1914, which was lost 3–0. He enjoyed regular football until his conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
in the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
of 1914. After two years of fighting he was seriously wounded, but by the time he returned to Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
in September 1918 he was fit enough to play, which 'caused him so much pleasure'. However he developed complications from his wound in November 1918 and was unable to play again.