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Page Last Updated
20 August 2020
 
 

Gilbert Smith

Oxford University AFC & Old Carthusians FC & Corinthians FC

13 to 15 captaincies, six to nine goals

P 13 W 8 D 2 L 3 F 43: A 16
75% successful

1896-1901

full appearances: twenty
minutes as captain:
1145-1325

Timeline

  Gilbert Oswald Smith MA
Birth Monday, 25 November 1872 in Croydon, Surrey
  registered in Croydon October-December 1872
Death Monday, 6 December 1943 at his home, Pennington in Lymington, Hampshire.
aged 71 years 11 days registered in New Forest October-December 1943

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Playing Career

Club(s) Attended and played football at Charterhouse School, making the football team in 1889, and Captaining the team from 1890-92. Went on to attend Keble College at Oxford University, earning his blue between 1893 and 1896, being the Captain in the final year. He became an Old Carthusian.
Corinthians Smith scored 113 goals in 141 matches between 1892-1903.
Club honours FA Amateur Cup runners-up 1894-95, winner 1896-97;
Individual honours None
Distinctions Also played cricket for Oxford University (1895-96), Surrey CC (three matches, 1896) and Hertfordshire CC
Height/Weight 5' 9", 10st. 9lbs [1901].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career

Captain number The 25th player to captain England.
Player number One of seven who became the 199th players (204) to appear for England.
Position(s) Centre-forward
First captaincy Possibly no. 56, 7 March 1896, Ireland 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Cliftonville Gardens, Cliftonville, Belfast, aged 23 years 104 days.
Then possibly no. 57, 16 March 1896, Wales 1 England 9, a British Championship match at Arms Park, Cardiff, aged 23 years 113 days.

Certainly no. 58, 4 April 1896, Scotland 2 England 1, a British Championship match at Parkhead, Glasgow, aged 23 years 132 days.
Last captaincy
4 years 360 days
No. 73, 30 March 1901, England 2 Scotland 2, a British Championship match at Sports Arena, Crystal Palace Park, Penge, London, aged 28 years 125 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1895-96, 1896-97, 1897-98, 1898-99, 1899-1900, 1900-01;
Team honours British Championship winners 1897-98, 1898-99, 1900-01;
Individual honours England's Top Goalscorers (five 1899).
The Amateurs (five appearances, 4ᵍ 3ᶜ March 1893-September 1901)
The South (two appearances, 1ᵍ 2ᶜ February 1899-March 1900, withdrew twiceᶜ 1901-1902)
Distinctions Cousin of Charles Smith

Captain Record (based on his certain thirteen)

P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
13 8 2 3 43 16 +27 0 5 3.308 1.231 69.2 +5
All of his matches were played in the British Championship

Captain Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
Home 7 5 1 1 32 7 +25 0 3 4.571 1.00 78.6 +4
Away 6 3 1 2 11 9 +2 0 2 1.833 1.50 58.3 +1

Captain Opposition Record

Opposition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts % W/L
Scotland 5 1 1 3 7 11 -4 0 0 1.40 2.20 30.0 -2
Wales 4 3 1 0 12 1 +11 0 3 3.00 0.25 87.5 +3
Ireland 4 4 0 0 24 4 +20 0 2 6.00 1.00 100.0 +4

Captain Tournament Record

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1895-96 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0 0 1.00 2.00 0.0 -1
BC 1896-97 3 2 0 1 11 2 +9 0 2 2.667 0.667 66.7 +1
BC 1897-98 3 3 0 0 9 3 +6 0 1 3.00 1.00 100.0 +3
BC 1898-99 3 3 0 0 19 3 +16 0 1 6.333 1.00 100.0 +3
BC 1899-1900 3 1 1 1 4 5 -1 0 1 1.333 1.667 50.0 =0
BC 1900-01 1 0 1 0 2 2 =0 0 0 2.00 2.00 50.0 =0
BC All 13 8 2 3 43 16 +27 0 5 3.308 1.231 69.2 +5

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 13 8 2 3 43 16 +27 0 5 3.308 1.231 69.2 +5
13 8 2 3 43 16 +27 0 5 3.308 1.231 69.2 +5

Captain History

 Clubs: Oxford University A.F.C., Old Carthusians A.F.C. & Corinthians F.C. - 1-3ᶜ (90-270 min) 0-3ᵍ
 

F.A. International Select Committee - 13-15 captaincies (1145-1325) 6-9ᵍx


capts match match details comp res. appearance pos

Age 23
? 56 7 March 1896 - Ireland 0 England 2, Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast BC AW fifth app
40
cf
The captaincy was probably given to George Raikes, at least according to Irish Saturday Night and The Irish Times. However, the London Times gives a first captaincy to Gilbert Smith, yet, Vaughan Lodge is also a possibility.
? 57 16 March 1896 - Wales 1 England 9, Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff BC AW sixth app
15,43
cf
The captaincy is not known in this match, but it is probably Gilbert Smith.

trial  
one appearance - The Amateursᶜ vs. The Professionals, 25 March 1896;

1 58 4 April 1896 - Scotland 2 England 1
Celtic Park, Glasgow
BC AL seventh app cf

 Clubs: Old Carthusians A.F.C. & Corinthians F.C. - 12ᶜ (1055 min) 6ᵍ

Age 24
2 59 20 February 1897 - England 6 Ireland 0
Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham
BC HW eighth app cf

trial  
one appearance - The Professionals vs. The Amateursᶜ, 15 March 1897;

3 60 29 March 1897 - England 4 Wales 0
Bramall Lane, Sheffield
BC HW ninth app
(4-0) inj. 65
cf
4 61 3 April 1897 - England 1 Scotland 2
Sports Arena, Penge
BC HL tenth app cf

Age 25
5 62 5 March 1898 - Ireland 2 England 3
Cliftonville Gardens, Belfast
BC AW eleventh app cf
6 63 28 March 1898 - Wales 0 England 3
The Racecourse
, Wrexham
BC AW twelfth app
88
cf
? 64 2 April 1898 - Scotland 1 England 3, Celtic Park, Glasgow BC AW thirteenth app cf
The London Times and Sporting Life say Gilbert Smith was captain, but the Northern Whig and the Ulster Football & Cycling News say Wreford-Brown, as does The Sportsman, Glasgow Herald, and Manchester Guardian. The Guardian sums it up: 'Wreford-Brown, the captain, was said to be the weak spot...but he justified his selection.'  The FA's own minutes, also confirm Wreford-Brown as captain.

Age 26 trial  
one appearance - The Southᶜ vs. The North, 1 February 1899;

7 65 18 February 1899 - England 13 Ireland 2
Roker Park, Sunderland
BC HW 14th app
32,55,60,63
cf
8 66 20 March 1899 - England 4 Wales 0
Ashton Gate. Bedminster
BC HW 15th app cf
9 67 6 April 1899 - England 2 Scotland 1
Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham
BC HW 16th app
25
cf

Age 27 trial  
one appearance - The Southᶜ vs. The North, 7 March 1900;

10 68 17 March 1900 - Ireland 0 England 2
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
BC AW 17th app cf
11 69 26 March 1900 - Wales 1 England 1
Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
BC AD 18th app cf
12 70 7 April 1900 - Scotland 4 England 1
Celtic Park, Glasgow
BC AL 19th app cf
   

Age 28 trial  
withdrew - The Southᶜ vs. The North, 25 February 1901;

13 73 30 March 1901 - England 2 Scotland 2
Sports Arena, Penge
BC HD final app cf
   

Tour of FA 21 September 1901 - England 12 Germany 0, White Hart Lane, Tottenham tour HW
won toss
ᶜcf
  

Age 29 trial  
withdrew - The Southᶜ vs. The North, 24 February 1902;


 
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