Ex-West Brom star’s medal up for auction
A slice of Albion football history will go under the hammer at an auction next month.
The nine carat gold Football League winner's medal awarded to Joseph Smith for the 1919-20 season is on sale with Aston's on June 7.
Smith, who was born in Netherton, played nearly 500 games in the Football League for the Baggies and Blues, most of which were in the First Division, and won two caps for England.
He turned professional with Albion in May 1910, and made his debut four months later in a Division Two match against Bolton Wanderers.
He was part of the Albion team that won promotion from the Second Division in the 1910–11 season.
During the First World War he made guest appearances for Everton and Notts County.
When competitive football resumed after the war, he was selected for England for the first time, in a 1–1 draw with Ireland in October 1919 – making one further appearance for England in 1922
Smith contributed to the Baggies winning the First Division title in the 1919–20 season, and went on to play 434 league matches for the club.
In 1926, by which time he was 36 years old, Smith joined Birmingham and stayed with the club for three seasons, playing 50 games.
He then joined Worcester City as player-manager, leading them to the Birmingham & District League title in his first season.
