Tom Smith

Tom Stanley Smith Date of Birth: Mar 9, 1911

Born at Higham near Burnley in 1911, Tom played at centre-half for Nelson and Rochdale before signing for the Town in the summer of 1934.

After spending some time adjusting to the game in the south he was converted to full-back and from then on was virtually ever-present, starring in the promotion season of 1936-37 and stepping up to Division Two football with ease. Tactically aware, with good distribution skills he was, unfairly some said, dropped after a 5-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in November 1938 and eventually accepted a move to Burnley but was unable to make an appearance before War broke out.

A schoolteacher in Letchworth during his time with the club he became games master at Wellbury School in Offley at the end of the War.