Frank Smith Sr.


Frank Smith was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played at representative level for Yorkshire, and at club level for Castleford and Dewsbury, as a, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.

Playing career

County honours

Frank Smith won a cap for Yorkshire while at Castleford playing left-, i.e. number 11, in the 26-17 victory over Villeneuve at Lawkholme Lane, Keighley on 15 September 1934.

County League appearances

Frank Smith played in Castleford's victories in the Yorkshire County League during the 1932–33 season and 1938–39 season.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Frank Smith played left-, i.e. number 11, in Castleford's 11-8 victory over Huddersfield in the 1935 Challenge Cup Final during the 1934–35 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1935, in front of a crowd of 39,000.

Club career

beat Dewsbury in the Championship play-off semi-final during the 1942–43 season. However, Dewsbury's manager, Eddie Waring, appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Bradford Northern had fielded Wakefield Trinity's Sandy Orford as a guest player, and that Orford was ineligible because prior to the semi-final, he had played only three league matches for Bradford Northern, rather than the regulatory minimum of four league matches, the semi-final actually being Orford's fourth league match. Bradford Northern was disqualified, and Dewsbury went on to a 33-16 aggregate victory over Halifax in the Championship Final. However, a month later, Bradford appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Dewsbury had fielded Castleford's Frank Smith as a guest player, and that Smith was ineligible because prior to the semi-final, he had played only three league matches for Dewsbury, rather than the regulatory minimum of four league matches, though he had played in a number of cup matches. Bradford Northern's appeal was upheld and the Rugby Football League Council fined Dewsbury £100, stripped them of the Championship title, and declared the Championship during the 1942–43 season void.

Genealogical information

Frank Smith was the father of the rugby league footballer; Frank Smith Jr.