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Christian Smith (footballer)

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Christian Smith
Smith in 2011
Personal information
Full name Christian Daniel Smith[1]
Date of birth (1987-12-10) 10 December 1987 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth Crewe, England
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
2004–2006 Port Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Port Vale 1 (0)
2007 → Cambridge United (loan) 6 (1)
2007 → Northwich Victoria (loan) 3 (0)
2007–2008 Clyde 25 (0)
2008–2009 Wrexham 8 (1)
2009 York City 15 (2)
2009–2011 Wrexham 34 (6)
2010–2011 → Newport County (loan) 1 (0)
2011 → Barrow (loan) 5 (0)
2011 → Tamworth (loan) 7 (1)
2011–2012 Chester 31 (6)
2012–2013 Nantwich Town 14 (2)
2013 Airbus UK Broughton 0 (0)
2013 Stafford Rangers 2 (0)
2013 AFC Telford United 6 (0)
2013 Stafford Rangers 2 (0)
2013–2015 Chelmsford City 45 (6)
2015 → Hayes & Yeading United (loan) 12 (3)
2015 Bishop's Stortford 11 (2)
2015–2018 Maidenhead United 89 (5)
2018–2019 Wealdstone 20 (4)
2019–2020 Dulwich Hamlet 29 (4)
2020–2021 Hampton & Richmond Borough 12 (0)
2021 Hayes & Yeading United 0 (0)
2021–2022 Hendon 33 (2)
Total 413 (45)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christian Daniel Smith (born 10 December 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He scored 53 goals in 464 league and cup appearances during a sixteen-year playing career.

A former Port Vale youth team player, he was a first team squad member in the 2006–07 season, also spending time on loan at Cambridge United and Northwich Victoria. In 2007, he signed with Clyde, moving on to Wrexham a year later. In 2009, he signed with York City, only to return to Wrexham later in the year. After loan spells at Newport County, Barrow and Tamworth, he left the club for a second time in 2011, after which he joined Chester. He helped the club to the Northern Premier League title in 2011–12. He signed with Nantwich Town in August 2012 before joining AFC Telford United in March 2013. He signed with Chelmsford City in June 2013. He was loaned out to Hayes & Yeading United in February 2015 and joined Bishop's Stortford permanently three months later. In November 2015, he joined Maidenhead United and helped the club to the National League South title in 2016–17. He moved on to Wealdstone in November 2018 before joining Dulwich Hamlet in June 2019. He moved on to Hampton & Richmond Borough in September 2020. He rejoined Hayes & Yeading United in July 2021 before moving on to Hendon the following month. He played on the losing side of the 2022 London Senior Cup final.

Career

[edit]
Smith playing for York City in 2009

Born in Crewe, Cheshire, Smith started his career with the Port Vale youth system in 2004.[3] He was to train with the first team in the 2006–07 season and was first involved after being named on the bench in a 1–1 against Hartlepool United on 6 May 2006.[4][5] He made his debut, and only appearance, on 1 January 2007 against Scunthorpe United in a 0–0 draw after coming on as a 70th minute substitute.[6] He was loaned out to Conference National side Cambridge United on 25 January for a one-month period.[7] He made his debut in a 3–0 victory over Woking on 27 January and scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Stafford Rangers.[8] The loan was extended until 21 April in March,[9] but was recalled on 20 March.[10] He finished the spell with six appearances. He then joined Conference National team Northwich Victoria on loan on 22 March.[11] He debuted in a 4–0 defeat to former club Cambridge on 25 March and finished the spell with three appearances. Smith finished the 2006–07 season with one appearance for Vale, and the club announced on 9 May that he would be released when his contract expired on 30 June.[12]

Smith trialled with League Two team Bury before moving to Scotland to sign with Scottish First Division side Clyde in August.[13][14] He made his debut in the opening game of the 2007–08 season, a 3–2 defeat away to Greenock Morton on 4 August. Smith started in Clyde's first 11 matches of the season, before being handed a red card against Livingston on 29 September in the 88th minute, which led to him dropping out of the team due to suspension.[15] He returned as an 81st-minute substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Morton on 20 October.[16] Clyde released him in June 2008 after he made 32 appearances.[17]

Smith playing for Tamworth in 2011

He had a trial with newly-relegated Conference Premier side Wrexham in August 2008 and was offered an initial one-month contract.[18] He scored Wrexham's fourth goal in a 5–0 victory over Stevenage Borough on 9 August, his debut for the team.[19] He was offered two new contracts at Wrexham in December but rejected these and left on 5 January 2009 following the expiry of his short-term contract.[20][21] He trialled with League Two side Macclesfield Town and was expected to sign a contract with the club, but this was delayed.[20] He eventually signed for Conference Premier rivals York City on a short-term contract until the end of the 2008–09 season on 15 January.[22] He scored on his debut with a shot from 30 yards (27 m), with York beating Lewes 3–0 on 17 January.[23] This was followed by Smith scoring York's goal with a header in a 2–1 defeat at Eastbourne Borough.[24] York released him following the end of the 2008–09 season,[25] after making 15 appearances and scoring two goals for the team.

He had a trial with former club Wrexham in July and played in the second half of a 0–0 draw with Prestatyn Town in a pre-season friendly.[26] He was offered a contract to return to Wrexham in August.[27]

On 26 November 2010, Smith joined Conference Premier rivals Newport County on loan until January 2011 and made his debut a day later as a 70th-minute substitute in a 2–1 victory over Hayes & Yeading United.[28][29] This would prove his only Newport appearance. Upon his return to Wrexham in January he was suspended by manager Dean Saunders for insulting the club over Twitter.[30] He was sent out on loan to Barrow later in the month.[31] After five appearances, he returned to Wales, then in March, went on to join Tamworth on an emergency loan.[32] He made seven appearances for Tamworth. In his final appearance, a 2–1 victory over Forest Green Rovers on 30 April, he scored the opening goal of a result that ensured the team's survival from relegation.[33]

Released by Wrexham, he joined Chester of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in August after impressing on trial.[34] The "Blues" stormed to the league title in 2011–12 with a tally of 100 points and thereby won promotion into the Conference North. He left the club at the end of the season.[35] Following his release he spent most of the pre-season on trial with AFC Telford United.[36]

He signed for Jimmy Quinn's Northern Premier League side Nantwich Town in August 2012.[37] He moved on to Airbus UK Broughton in January 2013,[38] before joining AFC Telford United via Stafford Rangers in March 2013, who were struggling to avoid relegation out of the Conference Premier.[39] He returned to Stafford Rangers in mid-April, helping the club to win the Walsall Senior Cup with a 2–1 victory over Walsall.[40] He moved onto Dean Holdsworth's Conference South side Chelmsford City in June 2013.[41] He helped the "Clarets" to a 17th-place finish in 2013–14.

He was loaned out to Conference South rivals Hayes & Yeading United in February 2015. Hayes finished one place above the relegation zone at the end of the 2014–15 season. He signed with Bishop's Stortford just before the start of the 2015–16 season.[42] He switched to Maidenhead United in November 2015.[43] He went on to make 22 league appearances in the 2015–16 campaign as Maidenhead posted a seventh-place finish, and then played 24 league games in 2016–17 as Alan Devonshire's "Magpies" were promoted as champions.[44] He also scored the only goal of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup final against Hungerford Town.[45] He scored two goals in 36 appearances in the 2017–18 campaign as Maidenhead consolidated their National League status with a 12th-place finish. Smith played 12 times for the "Magpies" in the 2018–19 season, scoring one goal in the FA Cup, before joining Wealdstone on 21 November 2018.[46] He scored five goals in 23 appearances for the "Stones" during the 2018–19 season.

In June 2019, Smith joined Dulwich Hamlet, along with Wealdstone teammate Jeffrey Monakana.[47] Hamlet won three of their opening four games of the 2019–20 season and Smith was quick to praise the training facilities at Champion Hill.[48] On 19 October, he scored the opening goal in a 2–1 victory at Havant & Waterlooville that took the club into the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 21 years.[49] He also scored in the next round, a 4–1 defeat to Carlisle United.[50] He scored a total of six goals in 32 appearances in the 2019–20 National League South season, which was permanently suspended on 26 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, with Hamlet in 16th-place.[51]

Smith joined Hampton & Richmond Borough on 5 September 2020, rejoining former Maidenhead teammates Rene Steer, Dean Inman and Charlie Wassmer.[52] He made 14 appearances before the 2020–21 season was curtailed early due to the ongoing pandemic.[53][54] In July 2021, Smith re-signed for Hayes and Yeading United, now in the Southern League Premier Division South.[55] However, he then moved on to Hendon before the start of the 2021–22 season.[56] He scored two goals in 39 appearances – both goals coming in his first two games – throughout the 2021–22 campaign, and was also sent off twice.[57][58] He featured in the London Senior Cup final defeat to Brentford B, missing a penalty in the shoot-out.[59] Smith left Hendon in June 2022.[60]

Career statistics

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Port Vale 2005–06[61] League One 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2006–07[62] League One 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Cambridge United (loan) 2006–07[62] Conference National 6 1 0 0 — 0 0 6 1
Northwich Victoria (loan) 2006–07[62] Conference National 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 0
Clyde 2007–08[63] Scottish First Division 25 0 2 0 1 0 2[a] 0 30 0
Wrexham 2008–09[64] Conference Premier 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1
York City 2008–09[64] Conference Premier 15 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 2
Wrexham 2009–10[65] Conference Premier 28 3 1 0 — 0 0 29 3
2010–11[66] Conference Premier 6 3 0 0 — 0 0 6 3
Total 34 6 1 0 — 0 0 35 6
Newport County (loan) 2010–11[66] Conference Premier 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 1 0
Barrow (loan) 2010–11[66] Conference Premier 5 0 0 0 — 0 0 5 0
Tamworth (loan) 2010–11[66] Conference Premier 7 1 0 0 — 0 0 7 1
Chester 2011–12[67] NPL Premier Division 31 6 0 0 1 0 6[b] 0 38 6
Nantwich Town 2012–13[68] NPL Premier Division 14 2 0 0 0 0 3[c] 1 17 3
Airbus UK Broughton 2012–13[53] Welsh Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Stafford Rangers 2012–13[40] NPL Premier Division 4 0 0 0 0 0 3[d] 1 7 1
AFC Telford United 2012–13[69] Conference Premier 6 0 0 0 — 0 0 6 0
Chelmsford City 2013–14[70] Conference South 28 4 0 0 — 2[e] 0 30 4
2014–15[71] Conference South 17 2 4 1 — 1[f] 0 22 3
Total 45 6 4 1 — 3 0 52 7
Hayes & Yeading United (loan) 2014–15[53] Conference South 12 3 — 0 0 12 3
Bishop's Stortford 2015–16[72] National League South 11 2 1 0 — 1[g] 0 13 2
Maidenhead United 2015–16[73] National League South 24 1 — 3[h] 1 27 2
2016–17[53] National League South 24 2 0 0 — 0 0 24 2
2017–18[53] National League 31 2 2 0 — 3 0 36 2
2018–19[53] National League 10 0 2 1 — 0 0 12 1
Total 89 5 4 1 — 6 1 99 7
Wealdstone 2018–19[53] National League South 20 4 0 0 — 4[i] 1 24 5
Dulwich Hamlet 2019–20[53] National League South 29 4 2 2 — 1[j] 0 32 6
Hampton & Richmond Borough 2020–21[53] National League South 12 0 2 0 — 0 0 14 0
Hendon 2021–22[58] SFL Premier Division South 33 2 0 0 — 6[k] 0 39 2
Career total 413 45 16 4 2 0 36 4 464 53
  1. ^ Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ^ Four appearances in FA Trophy, two appearances in Cheshire Senior Cup
  3. ^ Appearances and goals in FA Trophy
  4. ^ Appearances and goals in Walsall Senior Cup
  5. ^ One appearance in FA Trophy and one appearance in Essex Senior Cup
  6. ^ Appearances in FA Trophy
  7. ^ Appearances in Herts Senior Cup
  8. ^ Two appearances and one goal in FA Trophy, one appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  9. ^ Two appearances and one goal in FA Trophy, two appearances in National League South play-offs
  10. ^ Appearances in FA Trophy
  11. ^ 1 appearance in Southern League Cup, 1 appearance in FA Trophy, 1 appearance in Middlesex Senior Cup, 3 appearances in London Senior Cup

Honours

[edit]

Chester

Stafford Rangers

Maidenhead United

Hendon

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2007). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2007–08. Mainstream Publishing. p. 377. ISBN 978-1-84596-246-3.
  2. ^ "Profiles". Wrexham F.C. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  3. ^ York City F.C. programme, v. Eastbourne Borough F.C., 18 April 2009, p. 21.
  4. ^ "– Reserves". Port Vale F.C. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  5. ^ "Hartlepool 1–1 Port Vale". BBC Sport. 6 May 2006. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Port Vale 0–0 Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Valiants loan Smith to Cambridge". BBC Sport. 25 January 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Stafford 1–2 Cambridge Utd". BBC Sport. 3 March 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Vale star Smith extends U's stay". BBC Sport. 7 March 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Midfielder Smith recalled by Vale". BBC Sport. 20 March 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Vale allow duo to leave on loan". BBC Sport. 22 March 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Vale boss Foyle clears the decks". BBC Sport. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Christian Smith". Port Vale F.C. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  14. ^ "Clyde's Hendry snaps up quartet". BBC Sport. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  15. ^ "Livingston 4–2 Clyde". BBC Sport. 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  16. ^ "Clyde 0–1 Morton". BBC Sport. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  17. ^ "Clyde release Bestvina and Smith". BBC Sport. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  18. ^ "Christian To Sign One-Month Deal". Wrexham F.C. 5 August 2008. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  19. ^ "Wrexham 5–0 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 9 August 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  20. ^ a b Flett, Dave (24 January 2009). "Town's loss is City's gain as Christian calls shots". The Press. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  21. ^ "Fleming agrees new Wrexham deal". BBC Sport. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  22. ^ "Minstermen complete double swoop". BBC Sport. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  23. ^ "York 3–0 Lewes". BBC Sport. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  24. ^ "Eastbourne 2–1 York". BBC Sport. 24 January 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
  25. ^ "York City release seven players". BBC Sport. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  26. ^ Currie, Mark (14 July 2009). "Trialist Hedi Taboubi impresses for Wrexham FC". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  27. ^ Currie, Mark (14 August 2009). "Christian Smith given second chance at Wrexham FC". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  28. ^ "Christian Smith to replace Charlie Henry at Newport". BBC Sport. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  29. ^ "Newport 2–1 Hayes & Yeading". BBC Sport. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  30. ^ Bloom, Mark (8 January 2011). "Dean Saunders gets tough with twitter Christian Smith". Western Mail. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  31. ^ "Barrow sign Andy Cook and Christian Smith". BBC Sport. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  32. ^ "Smith Heads To Tamworth on Loan". Wrexham F.C. 17 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  33. ^ "Tamworth 2–1 Forest Green". BBC Sport. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  34. ^ Wheelock, Paul (11 August 2011). "Chester FC: Neil Young wants Christian Smith to add to Matty Woodward capture". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  35. ^ "Young Tweaks Chester Midfield". Blue Square Bet North. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  36. ^ "TNS 0 AFC Telford 3 – Report and pictures". Shropshire Star. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  37. ^ "Dabbers Sign Christian Smith". 18 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  38. ^ "Preece adds another signing to the squad". Airbus UK Broughton FC. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  39. ^ "AFC Telford United: Struggling Bucks sign Christian Smith". BBC Sport. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  40. ^ a b c "Stafford Rangers Report 2012-2013". Stafford Rangers FC. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  41. ^ May, Adam. "Smith Joins the Clarets". chelmsfordcityfc.com. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  42. ^ "Smith leaves Bishop's Stortford to join Maidenhead United". Herts & Essex Observer. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  43. ^ "Christian Smith joins Maidenhead United from Bishop's Stortford". Maidenhead Advertiser. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  44. ^ a b Williams, Adam (29 April 2017). "National League: Maidenhead promoted to fifth tier for the first time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  45. ^ a b Bingham, Nathan. "Hungerford Town 0 vs. 1 Maidenhead United – 25 July 2017 – First Team – Maidenhead United". pitchero.com. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  46. ^ Smith rolls to the Stones
  47. ^ Hickey, Liam. "Smith & Monakana Arrive from Wealdstone – News – Dulwich Hamlet Football Club". pitchero.com. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  48. ^ Greenhalgh, Hugo (15 August 2019). "Christian Smith on his new life at Dulwich Hamlet". pitchero.com. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  49. ^ "Dulwich Hamlet end 21-year FA Cup wait". Southwark News. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  50. ^ "Carlisle beat Dulwich Hamlet in FA Cup". BBC Sport. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  51. ^ "National League clubs vote to end regular season immediately". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  52. ^ Morton, Ben (5 September 2020). "Christian Smith Signs for the Beavers". hamptonfc.net. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  53. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Stats". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  54. ^ Osborn, Oliver (18 February 2021). "National League Statement | Outcome of Written Resolutions". Vanarama National League. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  55. ^ "Christian Smith – Defender / Midfielder". Hayes and Yeading United FC. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  56. ^ "Greensnet – Official Hendon FC: Experienced midfielder signs". hendonfc.net. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  57. ^ "Greensnet – Official Hendon FC: Squad – Christian Smith". hendonfc.net. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  58. ^ a b "Christian Smith Profile | Aylesbury United FC". aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  59. ^ a b "Match Report and Match Highlights: Brentford B win London Senior Cup on penalties". brentfordfc.com. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  60. ^ "Smudger released". hendonfc.net. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  61. ^ "Games played by Christian Smith in 2005/2006". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  62. ^ a b c "Games played by Christian Smith in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  63. ^ "Games played by Christian Smith in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  64. ^ a b "Games played by Christian Smith in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  65. ^ "Games played by Christian Smith in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  66. ^ a b c d "Games played by Christian Smith in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  67. ^ "Statistics 2011/12". Unofficial Chester FC website. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  68. ^ "Nantwich Town 2012/13 Fixtures and Results". Nantwich Town FC.
  69. ^ "Games played by Christian Smith in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  70. ^ "Chelmsford City 2013-14 Fixtures and Results". Chelmsford City FC.
  71. ^ "Chelmsford City 2014-15 Fixtures and Results". Chelmsford City FC.
  72. ^ "Bishop's Stortford 2015-16 Fixtures and Results". Bishop's Stortford FC.
  73. ^ "Maidenhead 2015-16 Fixtures and Results". Maidenhead United FC.
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