From floodlit fame to a glorious FA Cup upset
STEVE GORDOS remembers a Black Country lad who played in two historic European matches for Wolves, and won the FA Cup with Villa
LES Smith played in probably the two most famous games in Wolves’ history, yet he could so easily have missed out.
The Halesowen-born winger helped Wolves beat ace Soviet side Spartak and Hungarian maestros Honved under the Molineux lights in 1954 but a year earlier he was on the brink of leaving the club.
A perennial reserve, he would only get a firstteam chance if England wingers Johnny Hancocks and Jimmy Mullen were injured.
By November 21, 1953, Smith had made 49 First Division appearances, mostly as Hancocks’s deputy on the right wing, though he was equally at home on the left. It was on that day, that the famous Saturday night football paper, the Sports Argus, reported that Aston Villa wanted to sign Smith and Bill Baxter whose halfback appearances were limited by the presence of Billy Wright, Bill Slater and Billy Crook with young Ron Flowers also starting to stake a claim for a place.
Confident
Villa must have been confident of a double signing as both Smith and Baxter had asked for a move. On the day the report appeared Villa were 14th in the table and Smith was in the Wolves reserve team who won their Central League clash at Preston 4-0. The winger had a hand in all his side’s goals, Ron Stockin heading in his centre for the first and Doug Taylor nodding home his corner kick for the second. Then Smith grabbed two goals for himself.
Clearly Smith deserved better than second-team football yet he pulled out of the proposed move while Baxter said yes and a week later made his debut in a 2-1 win at Charlton. While he could afford to lose Baxter, one suspects Molineux boss Stan Cullis wanted Smith to remain, as his famous wing duo were both nearing the veteran stage.
Smith’s decision to stay did not bring him immediate reward as Wolves, with Hancocks and Jimmy Mullen key figures, were on their way to becoming champions of England for the first time in their history. As the title at last came to Molineux, Smith made just four appearances.
Early the following season, Hancocks sustained an ankle injury that let Smith back into the side. Such was his form that Hancocks did not get an immediate recall when fit again. After a run of seven games Smith finally made way for Hancocks once more.
However, Smith was out of the side for only two games – a groin injury suffered by Mullen earning him a place on the left wing. Again, Smith made
Injury
the most of his chance and Mullen had to play in the reserves when fit again.
So Smith wore the number-eleven shirt for the much-anticipated visit of Spartak. The game had attracted national attention and such was the interest that the BBC decided to televise the second half.
The Beeb’s decisions to show the second 45 minutes and to put their camera behind the South Bank goal proved to be inspired. Wolves stormed to a famous 4-0 win on a misty night and all the goals came at the South Bank end in the second half.
Heroics
The huge TV audience had a great view of the heroics by Smith and his teammates. Dennis Wilshaw broke the deadlock on 62 minutes and Wolves scored three times in the last five minutes through Hancocks (2) and Roy Swinbourne.
Wolves, topping the First Division table at the time, entertained Honved just over a month later and Smith kept his place to face a side who included six of the Hungary team who had humiliated England 6-3 at Wembley a year earlier.
Drama
Again there was late drama as Wolves came from two down at halftime to win 3-2 thanks to a Hancocks penalty and two goals from Swinbourne, and again the Wolves goals were in front of the BBC camera at the South Bank end.
Smith made 34 league appearances that season and must have thought he had established himself in the side.
In the opening game of the 1955-6 season he was in the team who drew 1-1 with Albion at the Hawthorns but was then dropped as Cullis decided to recall Mullen.
After his taste of glory, Smith was back in the reserves and made just one more league appearance for Wolves, deputising for Hancocks in a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in November, 1955.
When Villa came calling again in early February, 1956, Smith could not resist the chance of regular first-team football and was transferred for £25,000. He had made 94 league and cup appearances for Wolves, scoring 24 goals. His debut had been as a 17-year-old in a wartime league game.
Villa, battling to avoid relegation, also signed Albion defender Jimmy Dugdale and Sheffield Wednesday’s England forward Jackie Sewell. The new men helped the club climb the table and a year later were in the side who beat red-hot favourites Manchester United 2-1 in the 1957 FA Cup final.
Goals
That game was one of 129 Smith played for Villa, scoring 25 goals, two of which came against his old club in a 4-0 win at Villa Park a couple of weeks before the Cup final. Smith and Baxter were not the only Wolves players to move to Villa in the 1950s, goalkeeper Nigel Sims and full-back Roy Pritchard also making the switch.
Youngster
As a youngster Smith lived in the same road as Villa and England halfback Eddie Lowe, another Halesowen man.
So Smith was a Villa fan and the Wembley victory must have been a dream come true.
It was another magical memory to add to the marvellous floodlit nights at Molineux.