Smithies was born in
Ribchester, Lancashire. He played for leading amateur team
Northern Nomads while training to be a teacher, and maintained his amateur status throughout his football career. He played for
Preston North End in the
1929–30 season, making his
Football League debut in the
Second Division on 2 November 1929 in a 4–1 win at home to
Bradford Park Avenue. In 20 league games for the club, Smithies scored 10 goals, enough to make him Preston's joint leading scorer for the season. While a Preston player, he was selected to play at
inside right for The Rest, to play against the
England amateur team in an international trial. The Rest outplayed England, particularly in the
forward play, winning 7–0. Smithies scored three and was involved in two others, a performance which secured his selection for the forthcoming international in which England's amateurs beat their Welsh counterparts 2–0. Smithies scored both goals, and was described as having "led the forwards with dash". He appeared in England amateurs' next match, though with less success, and then reverted to playing for Northern Nomads and, in a brief return to the Football League on the opening day of the
1931–32 season, alongside
Joe Bradford and
Johnny Crosbie for
Birmingham in the
First Division. He was called up again for the England amateur XI in November 1931, as a replacement for the injured
Vivian Gibbins of
West Ham United. Smithies made his debut for
Corinthian on 13 February 1932, when he scored in a 4–3 defeat at
Bradford City. In April 1933, he toured
Denmark with the Corinthians, scoring in a 2–2 draw with
Boldklub 1903. In all he only made three appearances for the Corinthians, scoring twice. ==References==