Centre-half George Smith played for Charlton Athletic during the war years and appeared in an FA Cup Final against Chelsea at Wembeley in 1944, which Charlton won 3 - 1. In May 1945, he gained a wartime cap for England against Wales. After the war had ended, he joined QueensPark Rangers and won a Third Division (South) championship medal with the Loftus Road club in the 1947/48 season.
After a good number of years managing non-League clubs, he took charge at Crystal Palce, saying that he would resign after two years if he did not get them promoted. When they failed to do so, he kept his promise and spent 12 months as Sheffield United's coach before taking control at Fratton Park. He took Pompey to the Third Division championship in 1961/62 after his first season in charge.
In the summer of 1965, he made a number of radical changes, including srapping the reserve side and only having sixteen professionals in an attempt to save money. In april 1970 he became the club's general manager, but three years later he lost his job when Pompey's new chairman, John Deacon, reconstructed the club's manangement.
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