Sammy Smyth

Samuel " Sammy" Smyth ( born February 25, 1925 in Belfast ) is a former Northern Irish football player. The inside forward was in his native pure amateur athletes before he moved south to England, where in 1949 the Wolverhampton Wanderers won the FA Cup and then still was used for the English first division club Stoke City and Liverpool.

Sports career

In July 1947, Smyth was transferred for a transfer fee in the amount of 1,100 pounds in the English First Division to Wolverhampton Wanderers. On the side of striker colleagues like Johnny Hancocks, Dennis Westcott, Jesse Pye, Jimmy Dunn, Jimmy Mullen and Billy Crook, the agile attacker was immediately a regular player in the team of Welsh coach Ted Vizard. Although in the end of season 1947/48 jumped out of fifth place in the league, the club's management Vizard replaced by his former player Stan Cullis and under the new leadership reached Smyth 1949, the FA Cup final. With his goal for 3-1 final score he made here in 68 minutes against Leicester City for the decision and the first trophy of the " Wolves " for 48 years. The following year he won the runner-up and after a total of 116 duty stakes and 43 goals, he signed in September 1951 for a transfer fee in the amount of 25,000 pounds also in the English top flight at Stoke City on.

Staying at the " Potter " but was of short duration; after just over a year in the lower third of the table, he spent 12,000 pounds to Liverpool and announced on January 3, 1953 against his former club fresh from Stoke- on-Trent made ​​his debut for the " Reds ". This failed with a 1-3 defeat and the subsequent two bankruptcies ensured that Smyth relegation came in Liverpool dangerously close. After only a success could be retracted in 15 games, Smyth scored in three consecutive games and led his team to victory each. His seven goals in 18 games were ultimately a not insignificant factor in the league but still managed. Although he succeeded in the subsequent season 1953/54, 13 goals in 26 games, the descent but was no longer prevent.

Smyth, who was 1947-1951 nine -select players for the Northern Irish national team, played on April 24, 1954 was the last game for Liverpool, returned after the end of the contract in January 1955 the English professional football finally back and walked back to his homeland.

Achievements

• English Cup Winners: 1949