Obituary: Samuel Smyth, ex-Liverpool and Northern Ireland footballer

Samuel 'Sammy' Smyth, Former Northern Ireland international footballer. Born: Belfast, 25 February, 1925. Died: Grand Cayman Island, 19 October, 2016, aged 91.
Northern Ireland internationalist Sammy Smyth. Picture: ANL/REX/ShutterstockNorthern Ireland internationalist Sammy Smyth. Picture: ANL/REX/Shutterstock
Northern Ireland internationalist Sammy Smyth. Picture: ANL/REX/Shutterstock

Sammy Smyth was, at the time of his death, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s, the oldest former Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City player.

He was also the last survivor of the Wolves team which won the FA Cup in 1949.

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But Smyth was more than just another footballer from the sepia-tinted post-World War II era. In a full life he had qualified as an electrical engineer, been a bookmaker, ran his own sportswear distribution company, enjoyed amateur dramatics, cricket and golf. He also, long before George Eastham and Jimmy Hill rebelled against English football’s maximum wage, simply walked away from the game to properly secure his family’s future.

Born and raised in Belfast, he served his electrical engineering apprenticeship, while playing as an amateur for Distillery and Linfield, winning one Northern Ireland amateur international cap against England in 1947.

By the end of that calendar year, he was a full internationalist. He quit Linfield for professional side Dundela in June, 1947, and within a month, Wolves paid £1250 to take him to the Midlands. He had played a mere eight first team games at Molyneux when, in Octobr, 1947, he won the first of his nine Northern Ireland caps, when chosen to face Scotland, at Windsor Park, in October 1947.

The Irish hadn’t beaten Scotland since 1934 but two goals from the new boy gave the unrated Irish a 2-0 win over a Scotland team including such luminaries as George Young, Willie Woodburn, Jimmy Delaney, Billy Steel and Billy Liddell.

In season 1948-49 his six goals had a big bearing on Wolves winning the FA Cup. He headed home the winner as they beat holders Manchester United in the semi-final, then, in the final at Wembley, as Leicester City came back from 2-0 down, it took a great solo goal from Smyth, dribbling past four defenders in a run from half-way, to secure a 3-1 win and allow Billy Wright to collect the cup.

Smyth’s goal has long been considered one of the best FA Cup Final strikes.

Later in 1949, he again scored two goals for Northern Ireland against Scotland, in what was the first World Cup qualifier featuring two of the Home Nations. Unfortunately for Smyth, Scotland were already 5-0 up when he hit his double, and on their way to an 8-2 win, with East Fife’s Henry Morris, on his only Scotland appearance, trumping Smyth with a hat-trick.

In 1951, out of favour at Wolves, he was transferred to Stoke City, who paid a club record £25,000 for his signature. By now Smyth had married Enid and was a part-time footballer, working with an engineering company in Wolverhampton from Monday to Friday. He continued to live in Wolverhampton, and train at Molyneux, before joining Stoke on Saturdays.

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He was bought to score goals and keep the Potters in the First Division and his goals, including a tremendous late season run did just that. In all he scored 22 goals in 44 games for the club, before, midway through the following season, he was sold to Liverpool, ironically making his debut against Stoke, at the Victoria Ground, on 3 January, 1953.

Once again, he scored some vital goals, keeping Liverpool in the First Division with 13 in 26 games, while Stoke went down, but, the following season, he was unable to replicate the feat and, after 50 years the Reds were relegated, to await the arrival of the Messiah from Glenbuck, Bill Shankly.

Smyth didn’t fancy Second Division football, and the loss of income this entailed, so, he returned to Northern Ireland, to become a bookmaker and manage Bangor Town.

He occasionally still pulled on his boots, before finally retiring to set-up his own highly successful sportswear business.

He maintained his interest in the theatre, played cricket to a good level and golfed at Clandeboye in County Down, where he was captain, then president and a trustee.

In later life he was pre-deceased by Enid, then he contracted Alzheimer’s.

His final years were spent on Grand Cayman Island, where he went to live with daughter Sheena Smyth Connolly. He died there and was cremated, but his ashes will be brought home to Northern Ireland in due course.

He is survived by son Ian, daughter Sheena, and grand-daughters Jennie, Lauren and Lara.

MATT VALLANCE.