Stan Smith (footballer, born 1931)

Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. He was a factory worker. It took until 27 September 1954 for manager Freddie Steele to hand him his debut, in a 1–0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers. He moved on to Cheshire County League club Witton Albion later in 1958, and scored 32 goals from 45 games in the 1958–59 season. He scored 26 goals in 40 games during the 1959–60 campaign. He scored two goals in seven games at the start of the 1960–61 season, before he signed with Macclesfield Town in 1960. He scored a brace on his debut against Stafford Rangers at Moss Rose and went on to score seven hat-tricks and 38 league goals to become the club's top-scorer in the 1960–61 season. He scored 26 goals in 41 league games in the 1961–62 campaign and 22 in 37 league matches in the 1962–63 season, finishing as the club's top-scorer. He went on to play for Stafford Rangers, Runcorn and New Brighton. ==Post-retirement==

Upon his retirement as a player, Smith became manager of non-League club Winsford United. After his career in the game finished, Smith remained a keen Port Vale fan and later became the chairman of the Executive Club. He worked at ROF Radway Green, English Electric in Kidsgrove, and ICL at Winsford. He later ran his own firm in Chesterton, Staffordshire. He married Brenda in 1951. ==Career statistics==