Dave Smith, who was one of the most talented players to don the famous red and white of Lincoln City, is the sixth former player inducted into the Imps’ Hall of Fame.
Everyone at the club was saddened to learn of the passing of the legendary City player last month and honoured his life at the LNER Stadium with a rapturous minute’s applause ahead of the Sky Bet League One fixture against Charlton Athletic.
The front of the We are Imps programme was dedicated to Smith who had been artistically drawn by club partner Imptoons, and City’s players and staff also wore black armbands as a mark of respect, with Imps fans in the GBM Waste Management stand erecting a banner to celebrate the life of the City legend.
Smith signed for the Imps in the summer of 1968 at the age of 20, 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.
During his first season at the club, Smith was a near ever-present 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, with many of his former teammates describing him as the most skilful player they had ever shared the pitch with.
The outside left is one of the very few players to make over 400 senior appearances for the Imps during his 10 years at Sincil Bank and was a key player in the 1975-76 team which not only won the Fourth Division title but set several Football League records in doing so.
Smith was the club’s longest serving player at the time and had the distinction of scoring City’s 100th 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.
Smith’s family were presented pitch side with a framed certificate to mark his induction as he takes his place in the Hall of Fame alongside five other legendary Imps.
