English footballer
Elijah Smith (1860 – circa 1935) was an English footballer who played for in the Football League for Stoke.[1]
Career
Smith played for local side Tunstall before joining Stoke in 1883.[1] Smith combined being a footballer with his work as a vicar at the local church because of this he was known as 'Father Smith' to his Stoke teammates.[1] He played in the club's first competitive match in the FA Cup against Manchester in a 2–1 defeat. Smith was a member of Stoke team which competed in the first season of the Football League.[1] He made his league debut on 8 September 1888, at wing-half for Stoke in a 2–0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the Victoria Ground. Smith made 21 League appearances (out of 22) in the 1888–89 season as Stoke finished bottom of the table.[1][3] He played a further four matches for Stoke before leaving in 1890 and he joined Wolverhampton based Stafford Road.[1]
Career statistics
References