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 an outstanding outside left during his 10 years at Sincil Bank.
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 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.
He became an apprentice at his home town club of Middlesbrough and went on to sign professional forms shortly after his 17th 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.
The club will honour the life of Dave Smith at the upcoming home fixture against Charlton Athletic on Saturday 8 October.
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
