Bernard Smith | |
Fullname: | Bernard Smith |
Height: | [1] |
Position: | Left back |
Birth Date: | 1908 |
Birth Place: | Sileby, England |
Clubs1: | Loughborough Corinthians |
Years2: | 1932–1935 |
Caps2: | 12 |
Goals2: | 0 |
Years3: | 1935–1939 |
Caps3: | 56 |
Goals3: | 0 |
Bernard Smith (1908 – after 1938) was an English professional footballer who made 68 appearances in the Football League playing for Birmingham and Coventry City.[2] He played as a left back.
Smith was born in Sileby, Leicestershire. He played for Loughborough Corinthians, and after an unsuccessful trial with Derby County, joined Birmingham in February 1932.[3]
At the start of the 1932–33 season, Birmingham's regular left back Ned Barkas was recovering from an appendicitis operation,[4] so left-half Jimmy Cringan took his position. Cringan broke a collarbone in his first game,[5] and was replaced by reserve left-back Jack Randle, who played four games before Smith, the second reserve, was drafted in for his debut at Derby County on 17 September 1932,[1] which finished as a 2–2 draw. This was the first of a run of games, but when the experienced Barkas returned to the side Smith could not dislodge him.[6]
Smith moved on to Coventry City in August 1935, and contributed to their Third Division South championship in his first season.[3] He played 56 league games for Coventry,[2] and retired in 1939.[3]
Smith is the grandfather of The Times football journalist Rory Smith.[7]
with Coventry City