Geoff Smith (footballer)

Geoffrey "Geoff" Smith (born 14 March 1928) is a former English professional footballer who played 253 league games for Bradford City as a goalkeeper, including 200 consecutive appearances.

Career

Smith was born in the Cottingley area of Bradford, England on 14 March 1928. He was playing football for Keighley Central Club in 1948 when he was offered a trial with Bradford City but he was released and instead played non-league football in goal for Nelson and Rossendale United in the Lancashire Combination League. He lived in Keighley during his time playing in Lancashire, and by December 1952, he was offered another trial by Bradford City manager Ivor Powell.

He was signed on amateur forms and played seven games for the reserves before he was handed his debut against Scunthorpe United on 17 January 1953 replacing Brendan McManus. He remained in the side for the remainder of the season, playing 19 games, before he signed professional terms in July 1953, having previously worked part-time as a lorry driver. He had been earning £4 10s (£4.50) per week as a lorry driver, but the club did not want him driving around the country and offered him £10 per week plus a £4 win bonus. The following season he made 24 league games, and his fellow keeper Jimmy Gooch 22 games before he claimed the number one jersey for himself, playing 200 consecutive appearances, which included four seasons as ever-present, between 1954 and 1958. His number of consecutive appearances is third on the club's list, and coincided with a run of 246 league games by full back George Mulholland. During the 1957–58 season, he kept 18 clean sheets, which was a club record he shares with Steve Smith and Eric McManus. The following season, his run of consecutive games came to an end before he retired at the end of the season, when he played 26 games. He played a total of 253 games for the club, keeping 70 clean sheets, which had been a club record until it was broken by Paul Tomlinson.

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