John Smith of Gotham to distinguish him from John Smith of Ruddington, who played for Notts in 1864, was born in Gotham on July 12th 1834.

He is described as a useful all-round player and he appeared in three Notts County matches, two in 1862 and the last in 1863 v Yorkshire at Bradford.

It is believed that he moved to Bradford in about 1866, having been engaged as a professional in that town, but due to the commonness of his name, no further details have been discovered.