Relatives

The Smiths

By Louise Tierney

I was looking at the section local football teams and the team in 1950 features my dad John Smith (shillin): he is front row 1st left. I understand that there was a league game final at some point and he missed a penalty! He was never allowed to live that down. John Smith was Pat Smith's cousin (of the River Boys) and my father had a brother called Jim Smith, known as Taffy because he sang like a Welsh tenor. Jim lived in England and died in the late 60's. His sister, May Smith, also shown in an old photo on site, was a dancer and won lots of trophys and she also taught locally. Father also sang around the clubs and he played the trumpet too. He too fought in the Second World War and was in what was known as "the forgotten army" out in Burma, still fighting the Japanese when the war had offically ended. Father passed away in February 2010 aged 91.