smith_richard
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| Name: Richard "Dick" Smith |
Nationality: England |
| Position: half-back/forward |
Signing Information: Transferred from: Heywood Central, 06/1894, £. 2nd Spell, Transferred from: Wigan County, 02/1900, £ |
| Birthdate: 00-00-0000 |
Years at Club: 1894-1898, 1899-1902 |
| Age: () |
Debut: 08/09/1894 v Burton Wanderers (A) 0-1 (League Division Two) |
| Birthplace: Halliwell, Bolton, England |
Previous clubs: Halliwell Rovers, Heywood Central, Wigan County |
| Height: 5' 8" (1.73m) |
Farewell to Manchester United: 1st Farewell Transferred to Halliwell Rovers, 01/1898, Final Farewell Transferred to Bolton Wanderers, 01/1901, £ |
| Weight: 10st 10lbs (68.4kg) |
Passed Away: 18/11/1909 |
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Richard "Dick" Smith's career seemed to run in circles. Having played for Halliwell Rovers (his hometown side), he spent 1893-94 with Heywood Central. Newton Heath was his next destination in 1894 until he returned to Halliwell Rovers in 1898. When they disbanded in May 1899, he joined Wigan County but finished the season back with Newton Heath again. In January 1901, Dick decided to try something new - that is where Bolton Wanderers came in. However, unable to break into their side, he returned to Wigan, by which time United - rather than County - were the town's team.
Yet, of all these clubs, it was only at Newton Heath that Smith saw Football League action, and how he first came to the club is an odd story. Having never been scouted by the Heathens, he was signed purely on the recommendation of James Peters, his Heywood Central teammate who had just been recruited at a pub in Halliwell one day in the summer of 1894.
Smith had operated half the time as a striker at Heywood and the other half as a midfielder, but it was at inside-left that Heath utilized him in 1894-95. The 5'8" Dick responded by leading the scoring charts with 20 league and cup goals, bolstered by his accomplishment on November 3rd when he became the first player in the club's history to net four goals in a league game, and against Manchester City, no less. His tally would have been even more impressive but for a 14-0 thrashing of Walsall Town Swifts that was later voided after the losers complained about the state of the pitch. Had the result stood, Dick's six league goals that afternoon would have remained a club record to this day.
Regrettably, Smith's prolific rate gradually diminished during the rest of his stay at Bank Street, including his second spell. This was not helped by his evolvement into the side's jack-of-all-trades: filling in all over the front line as well as both wing-half spots. Dick married Emily Smith in January 1896 but seemed to have a stronger friendship with a footballer named Jack Grundy - the two were teammates in six different spells! After retirement, Smith focused on his job as a cotton dyer. Thanks to Charbel Boujaoude for his tireless researching effort & the correct information on Richard Smith. Biography kindly provided by Charbel Boujaoude. |
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| League |
League Cup |
FA Cup |
Charity Shield |
European Cup |
Europa League |
Super Cup |
Cup Winners Cup |
Inter-Continental Cup |
World Clubs Cup |
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| No |
Season |
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Season
Goals |
Season
Apps |
| 1 |
1894-1895 |
19 |
30 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
31 |
| 2 |
1895-1896 |
9 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
31 |
| 3 |
1896-1897 |
3 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
17 |
| 4 |
1897-1898 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
| 5 |
1899-1900 |
2 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
| 6 |
1900-1901 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
| TOTALS |
35 |
94 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
37 |
101 |
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