Frank Smith, Sr.

Frank Smith
Playing information
Position Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1932–47 Castleford 282 42 13 0 152
≤1943–≥43 Dewsbury (Guest) ≥4
Total 42 13 0 152
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
15 Sep 1934 Yorkshire 1 0 0 0 0
Source: rugbyleagueproject.org

Frank Smith was a professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, and '40s playing at representative level for Yorkshire, and at club level for Castleford, and Dewsbury, as a Second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.[1]

Playing career

County honours

Frank Smith won a cap for Yorkshire while at Castleford playing Left-Second-row, i.e. number 11 in the 26-17 victory over Villeneuve at Lawkholme Lane, Keighley on 15 September 1934.[2]

Rugby League County League appearances

Frank Smith played in Castleford's 1932–33, and 1938–39 Yorkshire League victories.[3]

Club career

Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury in the Rugby Football League Championship play-off semi-final during the 1942–43 Wartime Emergency League season. However, Dewsbury's manager, Eddie Waring, appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Bradford Northern had fielded Wakefield Trinity's Sandy Orford as a guest player, and that Orford was ineligible because prior to the semi-final, he had played only three league matches for Bradford Northern, rather than the regulatory minimum of four league matches, the semi-final actually being Orford's fourth league match. Bradford Northern was disqualified, and Dewsbury went on to a 33-16 aggregate victory over Halifax in the final. However, a month later, Bradford appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Dewsbury had fielded Castleford's Frank Smith as a guest player, and that Smith was ineligible because prior to the semi-final, he had played only three league matches for Dewsbury, rather than the regulatory minimum of four league matches, though he had played in a number of cup matches. Bradford Northern's appeal was upheld and the Rugby Football League Council fined Dewsbury £100 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £11,780 in 2013),[4] stripped them of the Rugby Football League Championship title, and declared the 1942–43 Wartime Emergency League season Rugby Football League Championship void.[5]

Genealogical information

Frank Smith was the father of Frank Smith, Jr..

References

  1. ↑ David Smart & Andrew Howard (1 July 2000). "Images of Sport - Castleford Rugby League - A Twentieth Century History". The History Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0752418957
  2. ↑ "Statistics at thecastlefordtigers.co.uk". thecastlefordtigers.co.uk ℅ web.archive.org. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Castleford RLFC A to Z Player List (All Time)". thecastlefordtigers.co.uk ℅ web.archive.org. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. London League. p. 78. ISBN 978-0415396158.

External links