Peter Smith

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
25-03-1913
N/A
11-03-1933
Thatto Heath ARL
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
07-10-1933 v Keighley
Huddersfield
1937-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1933-1938
86 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
26
3
0
84

Biography of Peter Smith



HERITAGE NO : 412
Peter Smith by Dave Dooley:
Peter Smith was speedy, skilful and adaptable player who performed heroics for the Saints in the bleak days of the middle to late 1930s. Peter was signed from the top local outfit Thatto Heath ARL on the 11th of March 1933. He made his debut in October of the same year in the away fixture at Keighley playing in his customary position on the right wing. This was the Saints last successful season before the War as Peter established himself in the side by the end of the season. His first points for the club came in the match against Broughton Rangers on the 16th of December, 1933. Peter bagged a brace of tries from the left centre berth. Later that campaign, he bagged another double in the 23 points to 14 defeat of Keighley. In the same season Peter also kicked two goals against Swinton and another conversion against Barrow. Saints finished the campaign in a creditable 13th position in the league having scored 550 points and entertained the crowds with some great attacking play. On a personal front Peter played centre to the prolific Kiwi winger Roy Hardgrave in the last 11 matches of the season and ended his first campaign with 6 tries and 3 goals from twenty starts.

In the mid-thirties Saints were plunged into a deep financial crisis which led them to transfer Alf Ellaby in the summer of 1934. With the great international then in Wigan colours, the "poison chalice" number two jersey was handed to Peter. Smith manfully rose to the challenge and collected a sizzling 13 tries from 30 matches. This haul included a memorable hat trick in the 19 points to 11 of Castleford in December 1934 and a brace against Rochdale Hornets. Peter played the first 23 games on the right wing as the Saints, without so many of the stars that had lifted the Championship in 1932, struggled somewhat against tough opposition. The Saints` slide down the league ladder was accompanied by dwindling crowds as the dark clouds gathered across Europe.

The following season followed very much in the same vein as Peter grabbed two tries against Salford and Batley in a campaign interrupted by injury. The 1936/7 season saw the return of Peter to his right wing berth. Singleton ties against Leigh, Hull KR, Newcastle, Dewsbury and Rochdale Hornets were reaped from 23 matches. Outside rugby Peter was a General Labourer and in 1939 he was living in South Street, St Helens. He died in September 2004, aged 91.

Sam McNally who is the grand daughter of Peter added some personal details about Peter after his playing days were over. She informed us that Peter was in the army during World War Two. Sam kindly forwarded a photo of her grandfather in uniform which we have placed in his gallery. Apparently Peter became a landscape gardener after the War and remained in the Thatto Heath area all his life. Sam also mentioned that her father, Peter Smith Jnr, was also a speed merchant. Many thanks to Sam for the update and splendid photograph.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1933~346 3 0 20
1934~35 13 0 0 30
1935~362 0 0 13
1936~37 5 0 0 23
TOTALS:26 3 0 86
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
TOTALS:

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
7th Oct 1933 1
L
 2 Keighley L A 8 16 VIEW
28th Oct 1933 2
L
 2 Salford L H 2 17 VIEW
2nd Nov 1933 3
L
 2 St. Helens Recs LCSF A 2 9 VIEW
4th Nov 1933 4
L
 2 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 20 VIEW
16th Dec 1933 5
W
 4 Broughton Rangers L H 36 5 2 VIEW
25th Dec 1933 6
L
 5 St. Helens Recs L A 9 11 VIEW
30th Dec 1933 7
L
 5 Leeds L A 5 20 VIEW
1st Jan 1934 8
W
 2 St. Helens Recs L H 10 2 VIEW
17th Feb 1934 9
L
 3 Halifax L A 8 16 VIEW
28th Feb 1934 10
W
 4 Swinton L A 8 5 VIEW
3rd Mar 1934 11
W
 4 Bradford Northern L A 15 11 VIEW
14th Mar 1934 12
L
 4 London Highfield L A 8 16 VIEW
19th Mar 1934 13
W
 4 Warrington L H 7 3 VIEW
24th Mar 1934 14
W
 4 Swinton L H 25 5 2 VIEW
30th Mar 1934 15
L
 4 Wigan L A 3 27 VIEW
1st Apr 1934 16
L
 4 Barrow L A 10 21 1 VIEW
3rd Apr 1934 17
W
 4 Keighley L H 23 14 2 VIEW
7th Apr 1934 18
W
 4 Barrow L H 31 23 1 VIEW
9th Apr 1934 19
L
 4 Halifax L H 9 19 1 VIEW
14th Apr 1934 20
W
 3 London Highfield L H 34 12 VIEW
25th Aug 1934 21
L
 2 Widnes L A 0 12 VIEW
1st Sep 1934 22
L
 2 Widnes L H 5 10 VIEW
10th Sep 1934 23
W
 2 Rochdale Hornets LC1 H 24 18 1 VIEW
15th Sep 1934 24
L
 2 Swinton L A 2 19 VIEW
22nd Sep 1934 25
W
 2 Hunslet L H 30 10 1 VIEW
24th Sep 1934 26
D
 2 Liverpool Stanley LC2 H 9 9 1 VIEW
26th Sep 1934 27
D
 2 Liverpool Stanley LC2(rep) A 3 3 VIEW
28th Sep 1934 28
L
 2 Liverpool Stanley LC2(2nd rep) N 9 12 VIEW
29th Sep 1934 29
L
 2 Halifax L A 13 21 VIEW
6th Oct 1934 30
W
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 7 2 VIEW
13th Oct 1934 31
L
 2 Hunslet L A 0 15 VIEW
20th Oct 1934 32
L
 2 Rochdale Hornets L H 6 15 2 VIEW
27th Oct 1934 33
L
 2 Warrington L A 5 10 1 VIEW
3rd Nov 1934 34
W
 2 Barrow L H 13 6 VIEW
10th Nov 1934 35
L
 2 Broughton Rangers L A 2 31 VIEW
17th Nov 1934 36
L
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 6 8 VIEW
24th Nov 1934 37
W
 2 Bradford Northern L H 23 8 1 VIEW
1st Dec 1934 38
L
 2 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 19 1 VIEW
8th Dec 1934 39
W
 2 Castleford L H 19 11 3 VIEW
15th Dec 1934 40
W
 2 Swinton L H 7 0 VIEW
22nd Dec 1934 41
L
 2 Barrow L A 5 7 VIEW
25th Dec 1934 42
W
 2 St. Helens Recs L H 6 2 VIEW
1st Jan 1935 43
D
 2 St. Helens Recs L A 2 2 VIEW
5th Jan 1935 44
L
 2 Liverpool Stanley L H 5 7 1 VIEW
19th Jan 1935 45
L
 2 Hull L H 2 5 VIEW
26th Jan 1935 46
W
 2 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 2 VIEW
2nd Feb 1935 47
D
 2 Oldham L A 5 5 1 VIEW
9th Feb 1935 48
L
 2 Oldham CC1 A 0 3 VIEW
16th Mar 1935 49
L
 2 Salford L H 8 26 VIEW
23rd Mar 1935 50
L
 3 Salford L A 5 9 VIEW
31st Aug 1935 51
L
 2 Widnes L H 2 9 VIEW
7th Sep 1935 52
L
 2 Widnes L A 6 8 VIEW
11th Sep 1935 53
W
 2 Streatham and Mitcham LC1 H 10 7 VIEW
23rd Oct 1935 54
W
 2 Salford L H 9 2 1 VIEW
26th Oct 1935 55
L
 2 Warrington L A 3 9 VIEW
2nd Nov 1935 56
L
 2 Barrow L H 2 8 VIEW
16th Nov 1935 57
W
 2 Bramley L H 31 3 VIEW
28th Dec 1935 58
D
 4 Streatham and Mitcham L A 3 3 VIEW
7th Mar 1936 59
L
 2 Broughton Rangers L A 0 23 VIEW
14th Mar 1936 60
L
 2 Batley L H 8 10 VIEW
21st Mar 1936 61
L
 2 Batley L A 6 18 1 VIEW
28th Mar 1936 62
W
 2 Streatham and Mitcham L H 22 11 VIEW
4th Apr 1936 63
L
 2 Salford L A 7 21 VIEW
26th Sep 1936 64
L
 5 Salford L A 12 34 VIEW
3rd Oct 1936 65
D
 2 Warrington L H 3 3 VIEW
10th Oct 1936 66
D
 2 Halifax L A 13 13 VIEW
17th Oct 1936 67
L
 2 Streatham and Mitcham L H 5 15 VIEW
24th Oct 1936 68
D
 2 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 5 VIEW
31st Oct 1936 69
L
 2 Leigh L A 9 13 1 VIEW
7th Nov 1936 70
L
 2 Oldham L H 7 16 VIEW
14th Nov 1936 71
L
 2 Oldham L A 2 20 VIEW
21st Nov 1936 72
L
 2 Salford L H 0 20 VIEW
28th Nov 1936 73
L
 2 Streatham and Mitcham L A 2 3 VIEW
5th Dec 1936 74
L
 2 Rochdale Hornets L AB H 0 4 VIEW
12th Dec 1936 75
L
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 13 19 1 VIEW
19th Dec 1936 76
W
 2 Newcastle L A 15 8 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1936 77
W
 2 St. Helens Recs L H 4 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1936 78
L
 2 Wigan L H 2 21 VIEW
1st Jan 1937 79
L
 2 St. Helens Recs L A 3 10 VIEW
2nd Jan 1937 80
L
 2 Broughton Rangers L A 5 23 VIEW
9th Jan 1937 81
W
 2 Dewsbury L H 32 5 1 VIEW
14th Jan 1937 82
W
 2 Rochdale Hornets L H 11 5 1 VIEW
16th Jan 1937 83
L
 2 Barrow L H 2 15 VIEW
23rd Jan 1937 84
W
 2 Featherstone Rovers L A 11 6 VIEW
6th Feb 1937 85
L
 2 Liverpool Stanley L A 8 21 VIEW
13th Feb 1937 86
L
 2 Huddersfield CC1 H 4 11 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 27 | LOSSES : 51 | DRAWS : 8

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