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Obituary by Donald Nannestad
Dave Smith, who has passed away at the age of 74, was one of the most talented players to wear a City shirt in the last 70 years.
Dave is one of the very few players to make over 400 senior appearances for the Imps and was anoutstanding outside left during his 10 years at Sincil Bank.
He could easily have played at a higher level as he showed in the FA Cup tie at West Bromwich Albion in January 1976. City were a Fourth Division club playing away to Second Division opposition and deservedly led 2-1 at half-time with Dave running the game. In the second half Albion targeted Dave and he had to be substituted after a bad foul left him unable to continue. City were still in front at the time but eventually went down 3-2.
Dave was a key player in that 1975-76 team which not only won the Fourth Division title but set
several Football League records in doing so. He was the club’s longest serving player at the time and
had the distinction of scoring City’s 100 th League goal of the season on a Monday night at Stockport
County when the Imps won 3-0. It was the first time any club had scored 100 League goals for nine
seasons.
Dave was a star teenage player who signed schoolboy forms for Manchester United and played for England Schools against Northern Ireland in May 1963 but suffered an injury which cost him the chance of further England caps and put him out of action for six months.
He became an apprentice at his home town club of Middlesbrough and went on to sign professional
forms shortly after his 17 th birthday. Dave made his first team debut for Boro early in the 1967-68 season scoring against Barnsley in a League Cup tie and then scored again in the next round against Chelsea. In the summer of 1968 at the age of 20, he signed for the Imps making his debut in the opening game of the season against Notts County when City won 5-0. Graham Taylor made his City debut on the same day.
Dave was a near ever-present in his first season and ended up as top scorer with nine League goals
plus two in the FA Cup. He maintained his first team place over the next decade and was not only an
outstanding player but also a loyal one.
Many of his former team mates describe him as the most skilful player they ever played with.
Dave left City in the summer of 1978 and was later given a testimonial against Watford. He finished
his senior career with two seasons at Rotherham United but then continued in local football and for
many years played in the Sunday League for St Hughs. He was on the bench for St Hughs when they
won the County Sunday Cup in 1992 and continued playing until he was nearly 50.
Dave Smith
Born Thornaby on Tees, 8 December 1947
Died September 2022
Lincoln City Record:
Debut vs Notts County, home 10 August 1968
Final match: vs Exeter City, away 11 March 1978
Football League: 358 appearances plus 13 as substitute, 52 goals
FA Cup: 25 appearances, 5 goals
Football League Cup: 22 appearances plus 1 as substitute, 2 goals
Watney Cup: 1 appearance, 0 goals
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