Joe Smith

Bolton Wanderers

Smith began his junior career at the age of 15 with Newcastle Parish Schools Association in the North Staffordshire Sunday School League. Both Stoke and Crewe Alexandra showed an interest in him, before he signed with Bolton Wanderers for a £10 transfer fee in 1908. Wanderers won the Second Division title in 1908–09, but were immediately relegated out of the First Division in 1909–10. They regained their top-flight status after securing a second-place finish in the Second Division in 1910–11. Smith then became the club's top-scorer in 1911–12 with 24 goals, as Bolton posted a fourth-place finish, six points behind champions Blackburn Rovers. He scored 22 goals in 1912–13, as Bolton dropped to eighth position. George Lillycrop then became the club's leading scorer in 1913–14, before Smith finished as the club's top-scorer for the third time in four seasons with 36 goals in 1914–15. During the First World War he guested for Chelsea and Port Vale. After the war, Bolton finished sixth in 1919–20. With the help of "Trotters" teammate Ted Vizard, during the 1920–21 season Smith scored a club record 38 goals, which put him top of the First Division goalscoring chart for that season; the club recorded a third-place finish. However, Bolton dropped to sixth position again in 1921–22. Smith recorded 19 goals in 1922–23 to become the club's top-scorer for the fifth time. His goals helped Bolton to reach the 1923 FA Cup final – the first FA Cup final to be held…

The first of Smith's five England caps came on 15 February 1913, in a 2–1 defeat to Ireland at Belfast's Windsor Park in the Home Championship. He then scored the opening goal of a 2–0 win over Wales at Ninian Park on 16 March 1914. He then played England's next three games either side of World War I: a 3–1 defeat to Scotland at Hampden Park (14 April 1914), a 1–1 draw with Ireland at Windsor Park (25 October 1919), and a 2–1 defeat to Wales at Highbury (15 March 1920).

Darwen

In 1929, Smith became player-manager of Darwen. As a player, he scored 42 goals in 51 games. As manager, he guided them to wins in the Lancashire Combination Championship (twice), the Combination Cup (twice), the Lancashire Junior Cup, and the Lancashire Challenge Trophy.

Reading

Upon hanging up his playing boots in 1931, Smith became manager of Reading. In each of his four seasons at Elm Park, he took the club to within a few places of promotion out of the Third Division South. He led the "Biscuitmen" as they were then known to a second-place finish in 1931–32 – two points behind champions Fulham, a fourth-place finish in 1932–33 – 11 points behind leaders Brentford, third in 1933–34 – seven points short of Norwich City, and second in 1934–35 – eight points behind promoted Charlton Athletic. His success was due mostly to his phenomenal home record. In 84 matches at Elm Park, he won 66 and lost only 3, scoring an average of three goals per game and steering the club on a 55-game unbeaten home run that lasted from April 1933 until after he left in 1935.

Blackpool

In August 1935, Smith was approached to become the new manager of Blackpool, in place of the departed Sandy MacFarlane, an offer he immediately accepted; a love of the seaside being one of the main deciding factors. After a tenth-place finish in 1935–36, he led the club to promotion in 1936–37 with a second-place finish in the Second Division. He then secured the club's First…

Joseph Smith was born in 1889, with the birth registered in Dudley, and the family moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme when he was three months old. His father, also named Joseph, was an iron puddler, and his mother was named Rosina. He was the youngest of three sons, and one brother, Philip, played professional football and was killed during the First World War. He married Priscilla (Cissie) Bond on 7 June 1921, at Manchester Cathedral.