Smith: Gavin

WW2 Guest: 1942-1943 (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Outside Right

Born: Cambuslang, Lanarkshire: 25-09-1917

Debut: v Bradford Park Avenue (h): 03-04-1943

Height & Weight: Unknown

Smith started with Scottish side Dumbarton before he signed with Second Division Barnsley in February 1939 but never played a senior game for them before the commencement of the Second World War. He did, however, figure very prominently in their team during the War years and soon built up his reputation as an extremely dangerous fast and elusive outside right capable of both scoring and making goals. He scored ten goals in the League and one more in the War Cup in seventeen League games in the 1939-40 season for Barnsley and followed this up twenty-four goals in thirty-seven League appearances in 1940-41, twenty in thirty-two games in 1941-42, fourteen in thirty-five games in 1942-43, sixteen in thirty-five games in 1943-44, nine in forty games in 1944-45 and thirteen in thirty-nine games in 1945-46. A total of one hundred and six League goals in two hundred and thirty-three games. He was a guest with Leeds United at Outside Right in the last two games of the 1942-43 Football League Northern Section Second Championship. He made his debut at Elland Road in a 2-0 win over Bradford Park Avenue on 3rd April 1943 and scored the first Leeds goal. He retained his position in the next game in a 2-5 defeat in the reverse fixture at Park Avenue. He also found time to guest for Chesterfield once in 1940-41, Huddersfield Town, twice in 1941-42, and once each in 1943-44 and 1944-45, Bolton Wanderers once in 1943-44 and Bradford City twice in the same season, but did not find the net for any of them. But he did score twice in four games for Blackburn Rovers in 1944-45 and once in his only game for Bradford Park Avenue in 1945-46. After the Second World War Smith rejoined Barnsley and was a fixture at Outside Right for the next six seasons, when he formed a dangerous right-wing triangle with Danny Blanchflower and Jimmy Baxter, but still figured to a lesser extent in the final two seasons as he scored thirty-five goals in two hundred and fifty-seven League appearances as well as three goals in fourteen F.A. Cup games. After Arthur Kaye had been made the first choice outside right, he left Barnsley in 1954 and played for Stocksbridge Works until he finished his football career. He died in 1992.