George Smith (footballer, born 1921)

Smith died after a stay at the Fairfield Hospital in Bury, UK. Coincidentally, Smith died within a week of his good friend and team mate, Manchester City goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann, who died at the age of 89 on 19 July 2013.

George Beacher Smith died peacefully on Sunday 14 July 2013, aged 92.

After finishing his playing career he assumed management responsibilities. In 1964 he became Manager of football team Prestwich Heys A.F.C., currently a semi-professional football club based in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England.

In 1958 Smith returned to Manchester. There he worked until retirement in Kennings Auto Centre' department in the city of Manchester as Manager of the tyre store. The last five years of Smith’s life were spent in a retirement home, namely Spurr House retirement home in Unsworth.

In October 1951 he bid farewell to City and moved to Chesterfield for a transfer fee of £5,000. Here he spent the majority of his remaining football-playing career. He played 250 league games for Chesterfield (nicknamed the Spireites) and scored 98 league goals for the team. After leaving Chesterfield in 1958, he joined non-league Mossley in the role of player-manager. Later in his football career he assumed additional management responsibilities. He was player-manager with Hyde United, for example, and in 1964 he became Manager of football team Prestwich Heys A.F.C. - a semi-professional football club based in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England.

After Smith's move to Chesterfield in October 1951, he accepted the positions of player-manager at both Mossley and Hyde United. Smith was the first Spireite (Chesterfield player) to appear in a light entertainment program on TV. He made a guest appearance in a "This is Your Life" tribute to former Man United Manager Matt Busby in 1958.

In 1946, he scored all four goals in a Manchester derby win against United, who were sharing City's ground, Maine Road, after United's ground, Old Trafford, suffered bomb damage.

In 1946, Smith scored all four goals in City's 4-1 win during a famous Manchester derby win against United. The match was watched by over 62,000, and scoring all four goals - three of the four in seven minutes – lead to him being designated Man of the Match. After scoring 45 goals in 90 wartime games for City, he won a Division Two championship medal in 1946-7, notably scoring five goals for City in the game against Newport County at the end of that season.

After the outbreak of war in September 1939 - and suspension of the Football League a year later - he made his senior appearance in a wartime fixture, against Stockport County in December 1939. In August 1944, following his return to Manchester from wartime service in South Africa, he scored a hat-trick against Tranmere Rovers F.C. for City in their opening match of the new season. This was Smith's first appearance in City's first team since 25th April 1942, as in the meantime his football career had been interrupted due to his Military service.

Note that between 1939 and 1946 normal competitive football was suspended in England. Smith signed up to serve in the Military and so missed playing in much of the war seasons. The Football League and FA Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up. Appearances in these tournaments do not count in players' official records.

Smith was born in Fleetwood, Lancashire. He signed for Manchester City in May 1938, but had to wait until 1946 before making his debut in an official first-team match because of World War II. He went on to play 166 league games for City, and scored 75 goals. In October 1951, he moved to Chesterfield, where he spent the rest of his professional career. He played 250 league games and scored 98 league goals for the Spireites. After leaving Chesterfield in 1958, he joined non-league Mossley.

George Beacher Smith (7 February 1921 – 14 July 2013) was an English footballer who played in the inside forward position. He played for Manchester City and Chesterfield between 1946 and 1958.