Percy Smith (English footballer)

Percy Smith
Personal information
Full name	Percy James Smith
Date of birth	1880
Place of birth	Burbage, Hinckley, England
Date of death	18 April 1959 (aged 78–79)
Place of death	Watford, England
Position(s)	Centre half
Senior career*
Years	Team
1895–	Hinckley Town
1902–1910	Preston North End
1910–1920	Blackburn Rovers
1920–1921	Fleetwood
1921–1922	Barrow
Total
Managerial career
1925–1927	Nelson
1927–1930	Bury
1930–1935	Tottenham Hotspur
1935–1936	Notts County
1936–1937	Bristol Rovers
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Percy James Smith (1880–1959) was an English footballer and football manager, who played for Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers.

Playing career

He started his playing career with Hinckley Town before joining Preston in 1902. He quickly achieved success, helping Preston to the Second Division title in 1904, becoming the division's top scorer in the process with 26 goals,^[2] and to the runners-up position in the Football League in 1906.

After eight seasons at Preston, he moved to local rivals Blackburn Rovers in 1910, where he again achieved success claiming the League title in 1912 and again in 1914, as well as reaching the FA Cup Semi-finals in 1911 and 1912.

After World War I, he finished his playing career with brief spells at Fleetwood and Barrow.

Management career

After retiring from playing, Smith managed Nelson, Bury, Tottenham Hotspur, Notts County and Bristol Rovers.

Smith became manager of Spurs in 1930. At Spurs he achieved modest success, guiding the team to the runners-up position in Division Two in 1933, thereby gaining promotion to the First Division. The team finished third place in the First Division in 1934. In the following season, injuries to players such as Willie Hall, and Arthur Rowe left the team weakened and at the bottom of the table by April 1935. Smith then resigned, claiming that the club's directors had interfered with his team selection.^[3]

Honours

As a player

Preston North End

Second Division champions: 1904
Football League runners-up: 1906

Blackburn Rovers

Football League champions: 1912 and 1914

As a manager

Tottenham Hotspur

Second Division runners-up: 1933

References

^ "Mr. Percy Smith".
^ "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
^ Goodwin, Bob (29 August 1988). Spurs: A Complete Record 1882-1988. Breedon Books. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0907969426.

Byrne, Stephen; Jay, Mike (2003). Bristol Rovers Football Club - The Definitive History 1883-2003. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-2717-2.
Percy Smith management career statistics at Soccerbase

[1] "Mr. Percy Smith".

[2] "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 October 2010.

[3] Goodwin, Bob (29 August 1988). Spurs: A Complete Record 1882-1988. Breedon Books. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-0907969426.

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