KNOWN AS JACKIE SMITH. PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER. BORN WARDLEY, DURHAM, 29/09/1883. SON OF WILLIAM SMITH (1837-1897) & MARY ANN KELL (1844-1893). HE HAD FOUR BROTHERS, JAMES, GEORGE, THOMAS AND ROBERT AND TWO SISTERS, ELIZABETH AND MARY ANN SMITH.
A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER AND PROLIFIC GOAL SCORER. HE PLAYED FOR NINE CLUBS BETWEEN 1903-1914. HE SIGNED FOR HULL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB, IN JUNE 1905, AS A TEENAGER. PLAYED AS RIGHT BACK AND CENTRE FORWARD AND SCORED 98 GOALS IN 156 APPEARANCES, FOR HULL CITY, BETWEEN 1905-1910. HE SCORED A CLUB RECORD OF 31 GOALS IN 37 GAMES IN 1907-08. HIS 32 GOALS IN 34 MATCHES (INCLUDING FOUR HATRICKS) IN 1909-1910, MADE HIM THE TOP GOAL SCORER IN EUROPE THAT SEASON. HULL CITY NARROWLY LOST PROMOTION ON GOAL DIFFERENCE. HE SIGNED FOR SHEFFIELD UNITED FOR £500 IN 1910 AND LATER PLAYED FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST IN 1911-1912, BEFORE RETURNING TO THE SECOND DIVISION. HE SCORED 105 GOALS IN 171 APPEARANCES IN HIS FOOTBALL PLAYING CAREER. JACKY SMITH WAS ONLY 5 FOOT 7 INCHES TALL, BUT PLAYED WITH GREAT HEART. THE HULL DAILY MAIL REPORTED, “Although only a small man, he is endowed with any amount of trickery, yet prefers to bustle his opponents and seems to take glory in charging a six-foot back.”
HE MARRIED IN HULL, ON 01/07/1907. HIS WIFE ANNIE HENDRY BOSWORTH (1885-1961) & SIX CHILDREN, LIVED AT 3 STUDLEY TERRACE, RIPON STREET, HULL. HE ENLISTED IN HULL. FORMERLY, PRIVATE, 3752, EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HE TRANSFERRED AS PRIVATE, 34831, 10TH KINGS OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 17/10/1916, AGED 33. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS WIDOW ANNIE. SHE WAS AWARDED A PENSION OF 31 SHILLINGS AND 3 PENCE, ON 03/05/1917, FOR HER FIVE CHILDREN (ANNIE, JOHN, PHOEBE, JAMES AND MAUD ) AND NOTHING FOR AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD, (MAY IRENE SMITH (1918-1962), BORN ON 08/01/1918.
HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE LOOS MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING (Panel 97 and 98. France)
TWO OF HIS SONS, JACK AND JIM SMITH, WENT ON TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE FOR HULL KINGSTON ROVERS.
Jackie Smith (footballer) – Wikipedia
Note. He is wrongly said to have have been born in 1886, served with the York and Lancaster Regiment and died on the 4th September 1916. Census Records show that he was born in 1883. His Military and Commonwealth War Grave Records, state that he served with the 10th King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and died on the 17/10/1916.
