Big Trevor’s nightmare of an England debut
PLAYERS like to score on their debut and Black Country lad Trevor Smith did just that – alas, it was for the other side!
An injury to Birmingham City centre-half Jack Badham gave 17-year-old Trevor his first team bow in the Second Division clash with Derby County at the Baseball Ground and he gave an outstanding display in a 4-2 win despite his nightmare moment.
Yet it was an unexpected call-up for Trevor. Obvious replacement for Badham was Johnny Newman but he was doing his National Service with the Army. When Blues boss Bob Brocklebank contacted his Army unit in Wales he was told Newman could not be released. So in came Trevor.
His own goal on 59 minutes was hardly Trevor’s fault – the main blame fell on future England fullback Jeff Hall.
In the days when it was
OK to pass back to the goalkeeper, Hall underhit the ball towards goalkeeper Gil Merrick. County’s Rhodesian outside-left Cecil Law took advantage and fired in a shot which rebounded off Merrick’s chest and was heading for the net. In trying to keep the ball out Trevor managed only to divert it home.
Commanding
The mishap did not affect the youngster’s display and he ensured County’s 6ft 3in centreforward Norman Nielson, usually a centre half, had few chances. Sports Argus reporter Charles Harrold wrote: “From the way young Trevor Smith played one would never have thought it was his debut or that he was only 17.”
Gordon Astall, Ted Purdon and Peter Murphy had given Blues a commanding half-time lead before Trevor’s misfortune and Jackie Stewart then made it 4-1. Five minutes from time Derby, who had ’49 Wolves FA Cup winner Jimmy Dunn at left half, scored a second.
A former pupil of Quarry Bank junior and infants and Quarry Bank Secondary School, Trevor had already played before bigger crowds than the 18,000 who witnessed his debut at Derby.
In the Brierley Hill and Sedgley side who reached the final of the English Schools Trophy in 1951, Trevor played before 22,000 at Molineux when they were held 2-2 by Liverpool in the first leg.
There was an even bigger gate for the second leg at Goodison Park, 40,000 seeing the Midlanders raise their hopes with a first-half goal from winger
Len Cooper, who later joined Wolves but failed to break into the first team. Two second-half goals in the space of five minutes turned the final Liverpool’s way and they made sure with a third near to the end.
Signed
Birmingham were quick to get Trevor on the St Andrew’s groundstaff on leaving school and he signed professional forms in April 1953. After his debut he retained his place, making 24 league appearances in all. He made 24 again in 1954-5 as Blues became Second Division champions, John Newman vying with him for the number-five shirt. That season saw the top three teams all finish on 54 points, goal average deciding the places, with Luton second and Rotherham third. Only two were promoted in those days.
Trevor’s fine form in the promotion season brought him the first of 15 England under-23 caps when he faced Italy under-23s at Stamford Bridge in January, 1955, and helped his side win 5-1. He had also played in the under-23 side against an England XI in April, 1954, at Highbury in what in those days was a game traditionally played on the eve of the FA Cup final. In the team with him that night were Manchester United legends Roger Byrne, Duncan Edwards and Dennis Viollet. The seniors won the game 2-1.
Such were Trevor’s consistent displays for the under-23 side that he was the obvious successor to Billy Wright in the full England side, and so it turned out when the Wolves man hung up his boots at the end of the 1958-9 season.
Trevor won his first cap in a 1-1 draw with Wales in
Cardiff at the start of the next season and kept his place for the friendly against Sweden at Wembley, a game England lost 3-2. He was not the only man left chasing shadows that midweek afternoon but he was the only defender dropped after that match along with goalkeeper Eddie Hopkinson of Bolton.
Service
Most experts rated Trevor the right man for the Wright job but rather than give him an extended chance to prove himself, the selection committee who chose the team in those days, turned to West Ham’s Ken Brown for the next international. He was dropped after just one game as was Wolves’ Bill Slater after him.
Trevor was consigned to the international wilderness as was another who had played against Wales
and Sweden – a free-scoring centre-forward by the name of Brian Clough.
Trevor instead concentrated on giving Blues sterling service, totalling 430 appearances. He helped them reach the FA Cup final in 1956 where they lost 3-1 to Manchester City and the European Fairs Cup final four years later when they lost to Barcelona 4-1 on aggregate.
It was a different story when Blues reached the League Cup final in 1963. They beat city rivals Villa 3-1 on aggregate (3-1 at home 0-0 away) to collect the trophy. It was the first major trophy Blues had won.
By that time Trevor was skipper of the side and he received the cup at Villa Park from Football League vice-president Joe Mears. So at least he got some reward for a decade of defensive distinction at St Andrew’s.