Denis Smith (footballer, Born 1947)
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Denis Smith (born 19 November 1947) is an English former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
. He made 531 appearances in all competitions in 15 seasons as a player in
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
, and as a manager took charge for 1,195 competitive matches. Born in
Meir Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means "one who shines". It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer.Alfred J. ...
,
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, he joined local club
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
as an amateur in 1964, making his first-team debut in September 1968. A hard-tackling defender, he soon established himself in the first team, playing in a centre-back partnership with
Alan Bloor Alan Bloor (born 16 March 1943) is an English former footballer and manager. He made 394 league appearances in the Football League for both Potteries teams. He spent eighteen years as a centre-half at Stoke City between 1960 and 1978, helping ...
for much of his career. Stoke enjoyed one of the most successful periods of their history during his time at the club, as he helped Stoke to win the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, featuring in successive
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
semi-finals in 1971 and 1972 and helping the club to successive fifth-place finishes in the First Division in 1973–74 and 1974–75. His bravery as a player meant that he also entered the ''
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the most injured man in football, although he was never able to fully recover after breaking his leg for the fifth time in his career in March 1975. He did manage to continue to play competitive football, and helped Stoke to win
promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
from the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
in 1978–79. He missed the entire 1980–81 season due to injury, and left the club in May 1982. He began his management career at
York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
in May 1982, having played for the club on
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
the previous season. He led the club to the
Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
title in 1983–84, totalling five seasons at the club. He took charge of
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in May 1987, and took the club to the
Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...
title in 1987–88, before getting the club promoted from the Second Division in 1989–90. Dismissed by Sunderland in December 1991, he took charge at
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
three months later. He steered the club away from relegation in 1992–93, but was dismissed in January 1993 after falling out with the club's directors. He was appointed manager of
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
in September 1993 and, although unable to avoid relegation in 1993–94, led the club to promotion from the Second Division in 1995–96. He switched clubs to
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
in December 1997, remaining in charge for two-and-a-half seasons before being dismissed in July 1999. He returned to manage Oxford in February 2000, and steered the club away from relegation in 1999–2000 before resigning in October 2000. In October 2001 he was appointed manager of
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
, but was unable to steer the club away from relegation in 2001–02. He won promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt in 2002–03, but Wrexham entered
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
in December 2004 and the resulting points deduction saw them relegated once more. Despite the financial problems he managed the club to the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
title in
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, in addition to two successive
FAW Premier Cup The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
wins in 2002 and 2003. He was dismissed in January 2007, months after the club exited administration. He married in October 1967 and has three children.


Early life

Denis Smith was born in
Meir Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means "one who shines". It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer.Alfred J. ...
,
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
, the second youngest of seven siblings. At just three years old he formed his own gang, stating in his autobiography that "if we wanted to play in the sandpit we played in the sandpit", and continued to lead his gang through junior and senior years at Sandon Road Junior School. Despite being involved with gangs since his
early childhood Early childhood is a stage in human development following infancy and preceding middle childhood. It generally includes toddlerhood and some time afterward. Play age is an unspecific designation approximately within the scope of early childhood. ...
he grew out of the culture by the age of ten, and as a teenager formed friendships outside of his local
council estate Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council estates, council housing, or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011 when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in so ...
. He turned down the chance to sit the
eleven plus exam The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardized examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academic ...
as local
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
Longton High was a
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...
-playing school, and so instead attended Queensbury Road School, with whom he won the Stoke Schools Trophy; he also played for the Stoke-on-Trent Schoolboys (who were coached by former England international
Dennis Wilshaw Dennis James Wilshaw (11 March 1926 – 10 May 2004) was an English international footballer. A forward, he scored 173 goals in 380 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national te ...
). At the age of 15 he became
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
County
boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
champion. He was only at the age of 14, but a late growth spurt took him to just under six feet, and was therefore tall enough to play centre-back as a professional footballer. He was offered an apprenticeship by
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, but turned it down as he wanted to sign for his local club
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
, who initially were not willing to take him on as an apprentice. They only allowed him to train with the 'A' team twice a week as an amateur whilst he initially worked as a plumber's mate, and later as a factory worker at Stone Lotus.


Playing career


Stoke City

Smith signed for Stoke City in September 1966 after telling
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...
Tony Waddington Anthony Waddington (9 November 1924 – 21 January 1994) was an English football manager at both Crewe Alexandra and Stoke City. Waddington had a seven-year playing career with Crewe Alexandra before becoming a coach at Stoke City. He progress ...
that he was going to sign a contract at another club; though Waddington was not keen on Smith's hard-tackling style, he did not want to lose the young player. At the age of 18 he faced
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
's
FWA Footballer of the Year The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in ...
Bobby Collins in a
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
match, and despite Collins going as far as to punch him in the face Smith managed to last the entire match without backing down in an extremely physical contest. However, for a period Waddington banned Smith from playing against first-team players in training as he feared Smith would injure one of his players. He made his first-team debut in
the Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in September 1968, and was given the task of man-marking
Bobby Gould Robert Hewitt Gould (born 12 June 1946) is an English former footballer and manager. Early life Gould was born in Wyken, Coventry, Warwickshire on 12 June 1946. He is the son of Henry Gould and Helen McKellar Gould (née Morton). He spent hi ...
. He gave away a
penalty Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penalty ...
after fouling
Jon Sammels Jonathon Charles Sammels (born 23 July 1945) is an English former footballer. Career Sammels joined Arsenal, in 1961, the club he supported as a boy, from his family home in Grundisburgh near Woodbridge in Suffolk. He was a regular in the rese ...
, which
Terry Neill William John Terence Neill (8 May 1942 – 28 July 2022) was a Northern Irish football player and manager. A centre-back, he captained and later managed Arsenal, guiding the club to a European final in 1980 and three consecutive FA Cup final ...
converted for the only goal of the match, but otherwise made a solid debut. However, in his second appearance he gave away two penalties in a 3–1 defeat away to
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
, and had to wait five months for another first-team appearance. In March 1969,
Alan Bloor Alan Bloor (born 16 March 1943) is an English former footballer and manager. He made 394 league appearances in the Football League for both Potteries teams. He spent eighteen years as a centre-half at Stoke City between 1960 and 1978, helping ...
picked up a knock and Smith returned to the starting line-up in a 5–1 defeat to Leeds, failing in his task to man mark Mick Jones, who claimed a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
. Despite the poor start to his senior career, he managed to finish the 1968–69 season with 14 First Division appearances to his name, and was occasionally used as an emergency
striker Striker or The Strikers may refer to: People *A participant in a strike action *A participant in a hunger strike *Blacksmith's striker, a type of blacksmith's assistant *Striker's Independent Society, the oldest mystic krewe in America People wi ...
. Smith established himself in the Stoke defence in 1969–70, forming a centre-back partnership with Alan Bloor in between full backs Jackie Marsh and
Mike Pejic Michael Pejic (born 25 January 1950) is a former England international footballer who played in the English Football League for Stoke City, Everton and Aston Villa. Pejic started his career with Stoke City under the management of Tony Waddin ...
. Smith was the aggressive and highly physical defender, complemented by Bloor who tended to stay further back and use his intelligence to read the game and clean up any mistakes Smith made. Smith claimed his first goal for the club on 17 September 1969, in a 3–1 win over
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
(West Brom) at
the Hawthorns The Hawthorns is an all-seater association football, football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of EFL Championship, Championship club West Bromwich Albion F ...
. Stoke reached the semi-final of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
in 1970–71, and Smith played in the fourth round victory over
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
despite suffering from a fractured ankle. He scored the only goal of the match in the fifth-round replay away to Ipswich. He also scored a "freak goal" from a deflected
Peter Storey Peter Edwin Storey (born 7 September 1945) is a former England international footballer. Able to play at full-back or more commonly as a defensive midfielder, he picked up a reputation in the Football League as an aggressive player in the 1960 ...
clearance in the semi-final against Arsenal on 27 March 1971, but Stoke lost the replay four days later. Stoke reached the FA Cup semi-final for a second successive season in 1971–72, again being knocked out by Arsenal in a replay. He had scored in the quarter-final victory over
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
and pressured Arsenal's
Peter Simpson Peter Simpson may refer to: * Peter Simpson (film producer) (1943–2007), often credited as Peter R. Simpson, a British-Canadian film producer and advertiser *Peter Simpson (Scottish footballer) (1904/05–1974), Scottish football striker who play ...
into scoring an
own goal An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
in the original semi-final match. However, John Radford was the hero of the tie as he played as an emergency goalkeeper in the first match following an injury to Bob Wilson, and then scored the winning goal in the replay. Stoke found greater success in the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, beating
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...
,
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
(after a replay), Manchester United (after two replays),
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
and
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
(after three replays) to reach the 1972 League Cup Final against
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. He scored two goals during the run, but was knocked out whilst scoring against Bristol Rovers in the quarter-final, and missed some weeks with
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
. He returned to play in the final, man-marking
Peter Osgood Peter Leslie Osgood (20 February 1947 – 1 March 2006) was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England ...
in a match which Stoke won 2–1 to win their first major trophy. Despite the cup success and arrival of new signing
Geoff Hurst Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst (born 8 December 1941) is an English former professional footballer. A striker, he became the first man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final when England recorded a 4–2 victory over West Germany at Wembley St ...
, Stoke laboured to a 15th-place finish in 1972–73. Smith blamed the car crash and subsequent injury to
Gordon Banks Gordon Banks (30 December 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional caree ...
in October 1972 as the cause for the club's mid-season slump, which compounded an already poor start to the season. Any concerns over
relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
disappeared though with six victories in the final eight league matches. After a poor start to 1973–74, Waddington signed
Alan Hudson Alan Anthony Hudson (born 21 June 1951) is an English former footballer who played for Arsenal, Chelsea, Stoke City and the Seattle Sounders as well as the England national football team. Club career Chelsea Born and brought up near the King's ...
in January 1974 to help revive the club's fortunes. The defence also improved, as Smith helped to ensure only two goals were conceded in the last nine matches of the season as Stoke finished fifth. On 23 February 1974, Smith scored the winning goal against Leeds to end their opponent's 29-match unbeaten run. Leeds went on to have a £250,000 bid for Smith turned down by Stoke in the summer. Stoke made a push for the title in 1974–75. They also competed in the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
against Dutch team
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
, and Smith scored in a 1–1 draw at the
Victoria Ground The Victoria Ground was the home ground of Stoke City from 1878 until 1997, when the club relocated to the Britannia Stadium after 119 years. At the time of its demolition it was the oldest operational ground in the Football League. History ...
, though Stoke would lose the tie on
away goals The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
. Smith scored the only goal of the match against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
on 30 November 1974 to take Stoke top of the table. However, Smith broke his leg for the fifth time in his career making a red-card challenge on
Mick Lambert Michael Arnold Lambert (born 20 May 1950) is an English former footballer who played as a winger. He started his career with Newmarket Town before becoming a professional and played for both Ipswich Town and Peterborough United. Lambert was a ...
in a 2–1 defeat to Ipswich on 18 March 1975; he was the fourth Stoke player to break a leg that season. Stoke ended the season again in fifth place, picking up just two points from their final three matches to finish four points behind champions
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
. He underwent an operation to remove cartilage in his knee in November 1975, and his recovery was not entirely successful. He later admitted that after returning to match fitness from the injury he was only ever able to play at "half pace". His long-term replacement was young defender Alan Dodd. The club also faced a major decline following a gale which severely damaged the Victoria Ground's Butler Street stand, and a lack of adequate insurance cover left a significant repair bill meaning the club had to sell Alan Hudson,
Jimmy Greenhoff James Greenhoff (born 19 June 1946) is an English former association football, footballer. He was a skilful Forward (association football), forward and although capped five times at England national under-23 football team, under-23 level, once a ...
, Mike Pejic,
Sean Haslegrave Sean Matthew Haslegrave (7 June 1951 – 22 November 2019) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Preston North End, Crewe Alexandra, York City and Torquay United. Football career Hasle ...
and
Ian Moores Ian Richard Moores (5 October 1954 – 12 January 1998) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, Orient, Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur. Playing career Moores was born in Chesterton, Sta ...
to fund the repair;
Eric Skeels Eric Thomas Skeels (born 27 October 1939) is an English former footballer. He played 512 games in the Football League, 507 for Stoke City. He is Stoke's record appearance holder having played in 597 matches in all competitions. Skeels joined S ...
and John Ritchie also retired. Waddington filled in the gaps left by these players with youngsters, and it also meant that Smith could continue to be a regular for the club despite his reduced mobility. Waddington was dismissed in March 1976, and new manager
George Eastham George Edward Eastham, OBE (born 23 September 1936) is an English former footballer. He is known for playing for Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City, as well as a member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. However, he is also nota ...
failed to prevent Stoke from being relegated at the end of 1976–77. Following relegation Smith formed another good partnership, this time with
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to: Politics *Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927 *Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires *Mike Doyle (American politician) (born 1 ...
, which helped Stoke gain promotion in 1978–79 under new manager
Alan Durban William Alan Durban (born 7 July 1941) is a Welsh former international footballer and manager, whose career was at its peak between the 1970s and 1990s. He played in the Football League for Cardiff City, Derby County and was player-manager of ...
. Smith claimed his two seasons in the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
were "boring", as even with his reduced mobility few attackers in the division posed too much of a threat for him. A pre-season injury kept him out of the entire 1980–81 season, during which time he coached the reserves. In this time he converted
Steve Bould Stephen Andrew Bould (born 16 November 1962) is an English football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently the head coach of Lommel SK. As a player, he was a defender from 1980 until 2000. Bould began his football career wi ...
from a striker into a centre-back. Smith returned from injury in 1981–82, and featured regularly early in the season, and by the time another injury forced him out of the team, Stoke were in 18th place. He joined
York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league sys ...
, who were struggling in the
Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
, on a one-month
loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
in March 1982. He debuted in a 3–1 home defeat to
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
on 16 March 1982, and scored once for York, in a 4–2 loss away to
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
on 2 April. Smith made seven appearances while on loan at York, and exerted his influence on the team by organising the defence; he commented that "They had been crying out for an older head like me". He was recalled by Stoke manager Richie Barker as the defence struggled in his absence, and Smith re-established himself in the team as they avoided relegation. He was handed a free transfer to York in May 1982. He said that if he had been offered a coaching role at Stoke he would have stayed, but that Barker wanted him gone as he saw him as a threat to his position. In total, Smith made 493 appearances for Stoke, a club record for a centre-back.


Style of play

During Smith's 14 seasons with Stoke, he became known for his fearless mentality which led to him sustaining a large number of injuries. These included five broken legs, breaking his nose four times, a cracked ankle, broken collar bone, chipped spine, breaking most of his fingers and toes and needing more than 200 stitches. The sequence saw him named in the ''
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the most injured man in football. Early into his career Smith soon developed a reputation as a "hard player", who would launch himself at opponents determined to either block a shot and win the ball, which is how he picked up most of his injuries. He was known as Stoke's "hitman", and relished going toe to toe with the biggest and most feared opposition players. He would generally man-mark the opposition's playmaker or major goalscoring threat. He was a highly effective tackler, able to either flatten opposition players or to quickly take the ball off their toes. After the tackle from behind was outlawed he adapted to the rule change by making hard challenges from the side. Manager Tony Waddington said that "His qualities were his tackling strength and his courage. On the ball he just did what he could do, but he also had a tremendous ability to read the game."


Managerial career


York City

He moved into management with York as
player-manager A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...
ahead of 1982–83, accepting
the position ''The Position: A Novel'' is a 2005 novel by Meg Wolitzer. Summary It tells the story of a book titled ''Pleasuring: One Couple's Journey to Fulfillment'' and the effects it has on a family. The fictional book is a sex manual, much like ''The ...
on 12 May 1982. He described the set up at
Bootham Crescent Bootham Crescent in York, England, was the home of York City football club and York City Knights rugby league club. With a capacity of 8,256, it is near the city centre, just over a mile from York railway station. York City leased land at Boo ...
on his arrival as a "shambles", as training consisted entirely of running and was devoid of any actual coaching. He signed veteran players Roger Jones (goalkeeper), Alan Hay (defender) and
Ricky Sbragia Richard Sbragia (born 26 May 1956) is a Scottish football coach and former player. His playing career, mainly in the English lower leagues began at Birmingham City, Walsall, Blackpool, York City and a loan spell at Darlington. Sbragia had a ...
(defender), as well as young Stoke defender Chris Evans, which including Smith himself meant a complete change in the club's back line. He brought in striker
Viv Busby Vivian Dennis Busby (born 19 June 1949) is an English former professional footballer and manager. He played for Wycombe Wanderers, Luton Town, Newcastle United, Fulham Norwich City, Stoke City, Sheffield United, Tulsa Roughnecks, Blackburn R ...
as a player-coach. He then made 26-year-old striker
Keith Walwyn Kenford Keith Ian Walwyn (17 February 1956 – 15 April 2003), more commonly known as Keith Walwyn, was a Kittitian footballer who played as a striker. Career Born in Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Walwyn had trials for Barnsley and Preston No ...
his priority, and encouraged Walwyn to use his natural physical presence to become a greater threat in front of goal and unlock his potential. Smith retired from playing after steering York to a seventh-place in 1982–83, in which he made 36 appearances and scored 4 goals. He signed
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
's
John MacPhail John MacPhail (born 7 December 1955) is a Scottish former association football, footballer who played as a defender (association football), defender. Career Born in Dundee, Scotland, MacPhail started out at St Columba BC before moving to Dundee ...
on a free transfer as a replacement for himself. In his second season as York manager, 1983–84, he signed another former teammate, energetic midfielder Sean Haslegrave. Smith was named as the division's Manager of the Month for March 1984 after York won five and drew one of their six league matches. He guided York to the Fourth Division title and promotion into the
Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...
, with Walwyn scoring 25 goals and earning a place in the
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's English football; the Premie ...
alongside strike partner John Byrne, who scored 27 goals. York finished with 101 points, 16 points ahead of runners-up
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
. Early in 1984–85 York were beaten by
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
(QPR) in the League Cup, but Byrne impressed QPR manager
Alan Mullery Alan Patrick Mullery (born 23 November 1941) is an English former footballer and manager. After enjoying a successful career with Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team in the 1960s and 1970s, he became a manager working with ...
enough to earn a £100,000 move to
Loftus Road Loftus Road is a football stadium in White City, London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers. In 1981, it became the first stadium in British professional football to have an artificial pitch of Omniturf installed. This remained in ...
. Smith spent half of this sum (a club record) on
Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...
forward
Dale Banton Dale Conrad Banton (born 15 May 1961) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. Career Born in Kensington, London, grow up in Wembley attending Alperton High School, then going on to play for West Ham United, Aldershot (scorin ...
, who went on to score 49 goals in 138 appearances for the club. He also released winger
Brian Pollard Brian Edward Pollard (born 22 May 1954) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. Career Born in York, Pollard started his career with hometown club York City as an amateur, before signing a professional contract in M ...
, but found that the man he signed in his place, Gary Nicholson, was not able to replicate Pollard's form. York started the season well and another of his signings,
Keith Houchen Keith Morton Houchen (born 25 July 1960) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. A forward, he scored 184 goals in 687 league and cup games. He started his professional career at Hartlepool United in February 1978, a ...
(£15,000), scored a hat-trick in a 7–1 win over Gillingham in November 1984. On 26 January 1985, he guided York to victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round. In the next round York came from behind to draw 1–1 at home with
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
, before losing 7–0 away at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
. York again drew Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round in 1985–86, and took the lead through
Gary Ford Gary Ford (born 8 February 1961) is an English former Association football, footballer who played on the right-wing. He made 435 appearances in all competitions for York City F.C., York City, scoring 64 goals, between 1979 and 1987 – a tally ...
only to concede a stoppage time equaliser. Tony Canham scored at Anfield and York had a second goal disallowed before York succumbed to a 3–1 defeat in
extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
. York lost only three home league matches all season, but missed out on promotion after finishing seventh. In the summer of 1986 he sold MacPhail to
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
for £15,000, whilst many of the veteran players he signed when he first came to the club were coming to the end of their careers. The 1986–87 season was disappointing for York as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by
non-League Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...
team
Caernarfon Town Caernarfon Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl Droed Tref Caernarfon) is a semi-professional Welsh football club based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. The club is nicknamed "the Canaries" because of its yellow and green strip, a nickname that dates from ...
and ended the season in 20th-place. They did though manage to beat Chelsea 1–0 in the League Cup, but lost the return fixture at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
3–0. Smith ended up falling out with the club's directors, who invested money in the club's facilities rather than on players, and released goalkeeper
Andy Leaning Andrew John Leaning (born 18 May 1963) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and has since been employed as a goalkeeping coach. Having started his career in the amateur game with York Railway Institute and ...
against his wishes.


Sunderland

In May 1987, Smith was appointed manager at
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, who had just been relegated into the Third Division for the first time in their
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
. York were unwilling to release him from his contract for less than £20,000 compensation, and Sunderland would only go as far as pay £10,000. Smith agreed to a £40,000-a-year contract that meant if he failed to win promotion with Sunderland in his first season he would pay the extra £10,000 compensation himself. He brought his York coaching staff with him: Viv Busby,
Malcolm Crosby Malcolm Crosby (born 4 July 1954) is an English former professional footballer and manager. He is currently working for Exeter City as the club’s Chief Scout under former Wigan Athletic manager Gary Caldwell. Playing career Born in South Shie ...
, and Roger Jones. He also signed former York player John MacPhail to shore up the defence, who captained the team and scored 16 goals (including 10 penalties) in his maiden season at
Roker Park Roker Park was a football ground in Roker, Sunderland, England, which was the home of Sunderland A.F.C. from 1898 to 1997, before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Its final capacity was around 22,500, with only a small part being seated; ...
. He signed right-back John Kay, whilst remaining satisfied with existing left-back
Reuben Agboola Reuben Omojola Folasanje Agboola (born 30 May 1962) is a former footballer who played at left back. He made 268 league appearances in a 13-year career in the Football League, and made nine appearances for Nigeria between 1991 and 1993, appearin ...
, centre-back Gary Bennett and goalkeeper
Iain Hesford Iain Hesford (4 March 1960 – 18 November 2014) was an English professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for teams including Blackpool, Eastern, Sunderland and South China. Early career Hesford began his career at Blackpool, wher ...
. In midfield he played a youthful combination of
Gordon Armstrong Gordon Ian Armstrong (born 15 July 1967 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He now works as a football agent, and has amongst the players he manages a number of current and former play ...
, Paul Lemon,
Gary Owers Gary Owers (born 3 October 1968) is an English former professional footballer, and football manager. He most recently managed Torquay United. He was previously manager of Bath City and Forest Green Rovers as well as the assistant manager at Alde ...
and Paul Atkinson, alongside the more experienced defensive midfielder
Steve Doyle Stephen Charles Doyle (born 2 June 1958) is a Welsh former professional football midfielder who made 626 appearances in the Football League playing for Preston North End, Huddersfield Town, Sunderland, Hull City and Rochdale Rochdale ( ) ...
. He sold Mark Proctor to
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
for £275,000. He signed young and pacey York striker
Marco Gabbiadini Marco Gabbiadini (; born 20 January 1968) is an English former footballer whose career lasted 18 years from 1985 to 2003. He played for 12 different clubs, scoring a total of 226 league goals. Playing career York City Gabbiadini was born on ...
for £80,000 and played him alongside the experienced
Eric Gates Eric Lazenby Gates (born on 26 June 1955) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. Gates' brother Bill was also a professional footballer who played for Middlesbrough from 1961 to 1973. Club career Ipswich Town ...
; the pair scored 42 goals between them in 1987–88. A 7–0 win over
Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
started a run of 15 league matches unbeaten, though in the second half of the campaign a run of just 2 wins in 10 matches set them back. Smith bought
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
winger
Colin Pascoe Colin Pascoe (born 9 April 1965) is a Welsh former professional footballer. He attained ten caps for the Welsh national team. Playing career Club He played his club football for Swansea City, Sunderland and Blackpool. He was a part of the Sw ...
in March 1988, and oversaw a run of seven wins in the final eight matches to secure the Third Division championship and promotion with 93 points. Injuries to Kay and Lemon hindered Sunderland at the start of 1988–89, and they took until 1 October 1988 to register their first win back in the Second Division. He signed burly striker
Billy Whitehurst William Whitehurst (born 10 June 1959) is an English retired professional footballer active during the 1980s and 1990s. Whitehurst's robust style of play attracted much notoriety and he is considered by many to have been the hardest player to h ...
to act as a "battering-ram", who proved to be an effective player despite being a heavy binge drinker. He spent a club record £500,000 on goalkeeper
Tony Norman Anthony Joseph Norman (born 24 February 1958) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Hull City, Sunderland and Huddersfield Town. He holds the record for consecutive appearances for Hull City, playing 226 conse ...
, though Hesford and Whitehurst were traded as part-exchange on the fee. Sunderland improved and ended the season in 11th-place. He signed experienced midfielder
Paul Bracewell Paul William Bracewell (born 19 July 1962) is an English former professional football player and manager. Bracewell played as a midfielder. He was a member of the Everton side that won the League title in 1985 and 1987 as well as the Europe ...
for 1989–90, who partnered an increasingly effective Gabbiadini, and spent £130,000 on Portsmouth left-back
Paul Hardyman Paul George Hardyman (born 11 May 1964 in Portsmouth) is an English former footballer and coach. He was a left-back for Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bristol Rovers, Barnet, Wycombe and Slough Town. He is currently Academy manager and assistant coach ...
. He introduced the exceptionally talented teenage winger
Kieron Brady Kieron Brady (born 17 September 1971) is a former professional association football, footballer who played for Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers F.C., Doncaster Rovers. Born in Scotland, he made four appearances for the Republic ...
to the first team, but was unable to discipline the precocious teenager, and Brady never realised his full potential. Sunderland reached the
play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, and faced
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
in the semi-final, securing passage into the final with a 2–0 victory at
St James' Park St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England. St James' Park ...
. They lost 1–0 to
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at ...
in the
play-off final The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. However, Swindon were found guilty of financial irregularities and remained in the Second Division, whilst Sunderland took their place in the First Division. Having been promoted weeks after the end of the previous season and not being granted an increased wage budget, Smith felt he had a tough job in keeping Sunderland in the top flight in 1990–91. He allowed Gates and MacPhail to leave on free transfers in order to free up money to bring in new players. He spent £350,000 on Portsmouth defender
Kevin Ball Kevin Ball (born 12 November 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played for Portsmouth, Sunderland, Fulham and Burnley. Since his retirement, he has held a number of positions at Sunderland, including twice being caretaker m ...
and took forward
Peter Davenport Peter Davenport (born 24 March 1961) is an English former professional footballer and manager who has managed teams in both the Welsh and English leagues. He has also managed classes as a substitute teacher. Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, he won ...
from
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
; Ball would prove to be a success, though Smith admitted in his autobiography that signing Davenport had been a mistake that left him unable to bring in any further players, as his small budget was spent. He was given further funds in February 1991 as Sunderland were engaged in a relegation battle, and Smith spent £225,000 on midfielder
Brian Mooney Brian Mooney, (born 2 February 1966 in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer who made his name as a skilful winger in English football. Mooney was spotted in 1983 by Liverpool playing for Irish schoolboy club Home Farm F.C. where he had won a F ...
, who had a limited impact due to injuries. On the final day of the season Sunderland had to better
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
's result at home to Derby in their match against
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
at
Maine Road Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England, that was home to Manchester City F.C. from 1923 to 2003. It hosted FA Cup semi-finals, the Charity Shield, a League Cup final and England matches. Maine Road's highest atte ...
, but they lost 3–2 and were relegated back into the Second Division. In the summer of 1991, Stoke chairman
Peter Coates Peter Coates (born 13 January 1938) is an English businessman, the co-founder of bet365, and the chairman of Stoke City Football Club. He has been listed as the 25th-richest person in British football. He founded Stadia Catering in the 1960s an ...
offered Smith the vacant management position at the club, but Smith decided that potentially being dismissed by his hometown club would be too intense an experience emotionally, and chose to stay loyal to Sunderland. This was despite finances being tight at Sunderland as the club saved the money to build the
Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland A.F.C. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. ...
. However, after just 4 wins in the opening 14 matches of 1991–92, Smith decided to sell star striker Gabbiadini to
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building * ...
for £1.8 million in order to raise funds to improve the squad. He then spent £350,000 on
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
left-back
Anton Rogan Anton Rogan (born 25 March 1966) is a former professional footballer. His playing career included spells at Lisburn Distillery, Celtic, Sunderland, Oxford United, Millwall and Blackpool. Rogan also played 18 times for the Northern Ireland nation ...
and brought in strikers
Don Goodman Donald Ralph Goodman (born 9 May 1966) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career spanned for nearly 20 years, during which he played nearly 600 Football League games and scored 162 goals. Car ...
(£900,000 from West Bromwich Albion) and John Byrne (£225,000 from
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
). Smith was dismissed on 30 December 1991, with Sunderland lying 17th in the Second Division. His former assistant Malcolm Crosby took Sunderland to the
1992 FA Cup Final The 1992 FA Cup Final was contested by Liverpool F.C., Liverpool and Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland at Wembley Stadium (1923), Wembley. Liverpool won 2–0, with goals from Michael Thomas (footballer, born 1967), Michael Thomas and Ian Rush. Sum ...
, in which they were beaten by Liverpool.


Bristol City

Smith was only out of work for nine weeks before being appointed manager of Bristol City on 9 March 1992. He succeeded
Jimmy Lumsden James Murdoch Lumsden (born 7 November 1947 in Glasgow), known as Wee Jimmy, is a Scottish former association football player and former first team coach at Manchester United and Everton. Playing career He began his footballing career with Le ...
, who left the club second-from-bottom in the Second Division. Smith felt the team lacked pace, so signed 20-year-old striker
Andy Cole Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a Briti ...
on loan from Arsenal.
Dariusz Dziekanowski Dariusz Paweł Dziekanowski (born 30 September 1962) is a Polish football player, coach and commentator. He was known as Jacki Dziekanowski during his time playing in the Scottish and English leagues. He started his career at Polonia Warsaw, bet ...
scored both goals against
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
(Wolves) in Smith's second match in charge to provide City with their first win in three months. They then won 3–1 against Smith's former club Sunderland, with Cole scoring the first of his 8 goals in 12 appearances during his loan spell. Smith successfully steered the club out of the relegation zone at the end of 1992–93 with a run of eight matches unbeaten, and paid a club record £500,000 to secure Cole's services on a permanent basis. He further paid £250,000 for Everton midfielder
Raymond Atteveld Raymond Atteveld (born 8 September 1966) is a Dutch retired footballer who played as a striker, full back or midfielder. Playing career Club Atteveld played for Haarlem before moving to England to join Everton. He made his debut for Everton o ...
and signed West Ham United striker
Leroy Rosenior Leroy De Graft Rosenior (born 24 August 1964) is a football coach and pundit. He is a former footballer whose clubs included Fulham, Queens Park Rangers (for whom he appeared as a substitute in the 1986 League Cup Final), Bristol City and Wes ...
. Smith rebuilt the defence for 1993–94, signing right-back Brian Mitchell and centre-back David Thompson, and oversaw a mixed start to the season. City won four straight home matches but also lost 5–1 to West Ham, 5–0 at Newcastle, and most significantly 4–0 to local rivals Bristol Rovers at
Twerton Park Twerton Park is a football stadium in the Twerton suburb of Bath, England. The stadium is named after the surrounding area, Twerton. The stadium has a physical capacity of 8,884, 1,066 of which are seats. It has been the home of Bath City F.C ...
. He found it difficult to control the club's talented and popular players, as Dziekanowski regularly got into trouble in his social life and skilled left-winger
Junior Bent Junior Antony Bent (born 1 March 1970) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger in the Football League for Huddersfield Town, Burnley, Bristol City, Stoke City, Shrewsbury Town and Blackpool. Bent began his career w ...
was unwilling to deliver crosses as regularly as Smith demanded. He tried to sell Bent but was unable to have the deal sanctioned by the club's directors. His relationship with the board was poor and he found himself regularly undermined and sensitive boardroom discussions were leaked. He also tried to sell Cole in order to provide funds to restructure the first team but again the board refused to sanction the deal. He was dismissed on 21 January 1993 following a run of 10 matches without a victory, and his assistant
Russell Osman Russell Charles Osman (born 14 February 1959) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre back in the Football League for Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town, Leicester City F.C., Leicester City, Southamp ...
was appointed as his successor.


Oxford United

Smith made a return to management with Oxford on 10 September 1993, and the following day led them to a 4–2 victory over his former club Bristol City. A victory over another former club, Stoke, took Oxford off the bottom of the Second Division, but a sequence of just 2 wins in 17 matches left them in great danger of relegation. He signed goalkeeper
Phil Whitehead Philip Matthew Whitehead (born 17 December 1969) is an English former professional football goalkeeper. He is mainly remembered for his playing days with Oxford United and Reading. At Reading he made some important penalty saves, including one a ...
on loan from
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
, signed striker John Byrne (£50,000 from
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
) for the third time in his career, and then made what he later said was the best signing of his career by bringing in defender Matt Elliott from
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
for £170,000. Oxford were boosted by these arrivals and briefly exited the relegation zone, also claiming an FA Cup giant-killing over Leeds at
Elland Road Elland Road is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Premier League club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 14th largest football stadium in England. The g ...
after
Jim Magilton James Magilton (born 6 May 1969) is a Northern Irish football manager and former professional player. As a player, he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town. He started hi ...
scored the winning goal in extra time. However, after the match Magilton moved to
Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
for a £600,000 fee. Oxford had struggled in the league during their FA Cup run and were 15 points short of safety with 16 matches to play, but were aided by £60,000 signing Paul Moody, who, despite arriving in February 1994, managed to finish as the club's top-scorer with 12 goals in 15 appearances. His arrival kick-started the club's fightback, and Oxford closed the 15 points gap in just 9 matches. However, a difficult run-in left Oxford needing to beat
Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
on the last day of the season and hope results elsewhere went their way, and though they beat County their relegation rivals also claimed victories and Oxford were relegated. The sale of star midfielder
Joey Beauchamp Joseph Daniel Beauchamp ( , 13 March 1971 – 19 February 2022) was an English professional footballer who played as a left midfielder. He played for most of his career at Oxford United but also had spells with West Ham United and Swindon Town ...
to West Ham for a club record £1 million allowed Smith money to spend in the transfer market, and he spent £100,000 each on
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
midfielder David Smith and Sunderland striker David Rush. Oxford formed a strong promotion push in 1994–95, but were knocked out of the FA Cup in the first round by non-League Marlow. In February 1995, he spent £60,000 on
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
's
Phil Gilchrist Philip Alexander Gilchrist (born 25 August 1973) is an English former footballer and manager. He played as a defender. Career Gilchrist first joined Oxford United from Hartlepool United for £100,000 in February 1995. He soon formed one of the ...
, who would form a highly effective centre-back partnership with Elliott. Oxford finished the season in seventh place, six points outside the play-offs. In November 1995, Smith re-signed Beauchamp for £300,000, who continued his excellent form after returning to his native
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
. The next month he brought in striker
Martin Aldridge Martin James Aldridge (6 December 1974 – 30 January 2000) was an English Association football, footballer. A Forward (association football), forward, he scored 44 goals in 182 league appearances in a seven-year career in the English Football ...
on a free transfer. The club were 14th in January 1996, but lost only once in their last 17 matches of 1995–96 in a tremendous second half of the season that saw them climb 12 places to win promotion as runners-up. At the end of the season, Smith became a director of the club. In order to strengthen for 1996–97, Smith signed striker
Nigel Jemson Nigel Bradley Jemson (born 10 August 1969) is an English footballer, who represented his country at under-21 level and was the player-manager of Ilkeston Town until May 2008. He finished his career at Rainworth Miners Welfare in the Northern ...
and spent £100,000 on
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a professio ...
defender
Darren Purse Darren John Purse (born 14 February 1977) is an English former professional footballer who now coaches the Cardiff City U23s. A centre-back, he began his career at Leyton Orient, before winning a £100,000 move to Oxford United in July 1996. ...
. In order to finance these deals he sold Chris Allen to
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
for £450,000. Oxford knocked
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
team Sheffield Wednesday out of the League Cup en route to a fourth round exit. Oxford were fifth in the table in December 1996, but chairman
Robin Herd Robert John "Robin" Herd (23 March 1939 – 4 June 2019) was an English engineer, designer and businessman. Herd studied at St Peter's College, Oxford, having turned down an offer to play cricket for Worcestershire at the age of 18. He initia ...
resigned amidst financial problems at the club, and work on the new stadium came to a halt as the club debt reached £13 million. Smith raised funds by selling Elliott to Leicester for £1.7 million, and signed veteran defender
Chris Whyte Christopher Anderson Whyte (born 2 September 1961) is an English former footballer who played as a central defender and made nearly 400 appearances in the Football League and Premier League. He had lengthy spells with Arsenal, West Bromwich Al ...
on a free transfer as a short-term replacement. Oxford finished the season in 17th place, but the club's financial situation became ever bleaker. Numerous players were sold, though Smith was allowed to spend £170,000 on defender
Phil Whelan Philip James Whelan (born 7 August 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He notably played in the Premier League for Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough as well as having spells in the Football League with Ox ...
. Smith left the Manor Ground midway through 1997–98 with Oxford 16th in the league, and his assistant Crosby managed to maintain the club's mid-table position at the end of the season.


West Bromwich Albion

Smith was appointed manager of West Brom on a three-year contract on 24 December 1997, with Oxford receiving around £100,000 in compensation. He had a mixed start to his time at the Hawthorns as Albion fell from promotion contenders to a tenth-place finish in 1997–98, but recorded victories over local rivals Wolves and Stoke. In preparation for 1998–99, he signed athletic Derby centre-back
Matt Carbon Matthew Phillip Carbon (born 8 June 1975) is an English footballer who played as a centre-back. Biography Matt Carbon is Head of Football at Sports Gateway after retiring from professional football in 2007-08. Carbon was born in Nottingham ...
for £800,000,
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
striker James Quinn for £500,000, and Manchester City defender
Jason van Blerk Jason van Blerk (born 16 March 1968 in Sydney, Australia) is a former Australian footballer. He played primarily as a midfielder, but could also play in defense. He played for clubs, both overseas and locally. He also represented Australia ...
for £50,000. He also brought in winger Mark Angel, midfielders Mario Bortolazzi and
Enzo Maresca Vincenzo 'Enzo' Maresca (; born 10 February 1980) is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder, and a current coach. After starting out at West Bromwich Albion in 1998, he went on to play for several clubs in his country, includi ...
, and striker
Fabian de Freitas Fabian de Freitas (born 28 July 1972) is a Dutch former professional football (soccer), footballer who played as a striker. He notably played in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers F.C., Bolton Wanderers and in La Liga for CA Osasuna. He als ...
. However, the player who had the greatest impact for West Brom was young striker
Lee Hughes Lee Hughes (born 22 May 1976) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Stourport Swifts. A strong striker with excellent finishing abilities, Hughes represented the England semi-professional team once in 1996. ...
, who had been signed before Smith's arrival but only made his first start under Smith. Aside from Maresca, many of Smith's signings had little impact, and supporters criticised him for allowing popular goalkeeper Alan Miller and strikers Andy Hunt and Bob Taylor to leave the club. West Brom started the season well with Hughes in tremendous form, but a slump in form in March 1999 left them ending up in 12th place. Smith was dismissed on 27 July 1999, just a week before the start of 1999–2000.


Return to Oxford

On 3 February 2000, Smith was appointed manager of Oxford for the second time in his career, with the club 21st in the Second Division. He re-signed striker Nigel Jemson from
Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
, and kept Oxford in the division as they ended 1999–2000 in 20th place, one place and one point above the relegation zone. He signed a one-year contract extension in the summer of 2000, but fell out with chairman
Firoz Kassam Firoz Kassam (born 1955) is a British businessman. Born and brought up in Tanzania, of Indian descent, he came to Britain at the age of 19. He owned Oxford United F.C. from 1999 to 2006, and was named the 309th wealthiest person in the UK in th ...
. He later admitted that the signings he made on a limited budget, which included Ian McGuckin, Andy Scott and
Rob Quinn Robert John Quinn (born 8 November 1976) is a former professional footballer, and current youth team coach. He played as midfielder, predominantly in the centre, but also played at centre back. He represented the Republic of Ireland under-21s ...
, were not good enough. Smith resigned on 2 October 2000 after a terrible start to 2000–01, a season which ended in Oxford being relegated in last place. He continued to work as a scout for the club under
Dave Kemp David Michael Kemp (born 20 February 1953) is an English former professional footballer and manager. He is currently assistant manager at Middlesbrough FC. Playing career Kemp began his career with Harrow Borough, subsequently playing for Mai ...
and then Mark Wright.


Wrexham

Smith returned to management on 8 October 2001 with
Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
on a two-year contract, replacing
Brian Flynn Brian Flynn may refer to: * Brian Flynn (footballer) (born 1955), Welsh football manager * Brian Flynn (baseball) (born 1990), American baseball player * Brian Flynn (cricketer) (1929-1986), Australian cricketer * Brian Flynn (ice hockey) Brian ...
who had resigned after 12 years in charge, with the club 23rd in the Second Division. He was tasked with keeping the club steady whilst it struggled with financial problems. He decided to cut back on the club's youth coaching spending, and as a result Wrexham's youth structure was downgraded from an Academy to a Centre of Excellence. He signed goalkeeper Marius Røvde, midfielder
Jim Whitley James Whitley (born 14 April 1975) is a football coach and former professional footballer who is under-18s manager of Macclesfield. As a player he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Manchester City, and in the Footb ...
, and gave striker
Hector Sam Hector McLeod Sam (born 25 February 1978) is a Trinidadian former international footballer striker. He spent eight years as a professional player in the English Football League, most significantly playing a total of 176 games for Welsh club W ...
his debut, but failed to keep Wrexham away from the relegation zone. With relegation confirmed, new signing Lee Jones scored all five goals in a 5–0 win over
Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on N ...
, leaving cause for optimism at the
Racecourse Ground The Racecourse Ground ( cy, Y Cae Ras) is a football stadium in Wrexham, Wales. It is the home of Wrexham A.F.C. It is the world's oldest international football stadium that still hosts international matches, having hosted Wales' first home i ...
. He signed wing-back Paul Edwards and held on to most of his key players for the 2002–03 season. Wrexham had a good start to the season and Smith won the Manager of the Month award for September 2002 after a sequence of four wins and two draws. A slump followed but Wrexham recovered from a poor October 2002 after coming from behind to beat
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
on 9 November, as strikers
Andy Morrell Andrew Jonathan Morrell (born 28 September 1974) is an English former professional footballer. A striker, Morrell played 359 games in the Football League for Wrexham, Coventry City, Blackpool and Bury, scoring 96 goals. Initially handed the ...
and
Lee Trundle Lee Christopher Trundle (born 10 October 1976) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Cymru South side Ammanford. He also works as the club ambassador and youth team coach for Championship side Swansea City. Trundle's career bega ...
formed a good partnership, with Jones an impact substitute. Wrexham dropped out of the play-off places following a sequence of draws in March 2003, but new signing Scott Green scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United on 18 March, the first of a sequence of eight victories that took Wrexham into the third automatic promotion place with four matches to go. They held on to the position to secure promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt. Wrexham also beat Newport County 6–1 in the final of the
FAW Premier Cup The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
to secure an important £100,000 in prize money. Smith was named as the Manager of the Month for April and 2003, before winning the
League Managers Association The League Managers Association (LMA) is the trade union for Premier League, EFL and national team managers in English association football. The LMA awards the LMA Manager of the Year award annually. History The union was founded in 3045 as th ...
's Third Division Manager of the Season award. Smith lost Morrell and Trundle on free transfers, and replaced them with Chris Armstrong and
Chris Llewellyn Christopher Mark Llewellyn (born 28 August 1979) is a Welsh football coach and former professional footballer who is currently manager of the Swansea City Ladies. He has made over 350 appearances in the Football League for Norwich City, Br ...
. The club's financial problems meant that players went unpaid at the start of 2003–04, although they remained in the play-off places in December 2003. However, a hairline fracture to
Shaun Pejic Shaun Melvyn Pejic (born 16 November 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played club football in England, Wales, Canada and the United States and represented Wales at under-20 and under-21 levels. He current ...
left Smith short of defenders and the promotion challenge ebbed away to a mid-table finish. Wrexham retained the FAW Premier Cup though with a 4–1 victory over
Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at ...
. However, Smith made himself unpopular with supporters after refusing to endorse their campaign to oust controversial chairman Alex Hamilton. Writing in his autobiography, Smith described 2004–05 "the most harrowing, distressing footballing time of my life" as the club entered
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative assistant, Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an admini ...
with debts of £2.6 million. Wrexham became the first club to be deducted 10 points for entering administration and were subsequently relegated from
League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
, eight points short of safety despite new signing
Juan Ugarte Juan Ugarte Aiestarán (born 7 November 1980) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker. Club career Born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Ugarte was brought up in local giants Real Sociedad's youth system, but only appeared once for ...
scoring 23 goals. Despite the financial trouble Wrexham managed to win the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
, knocking out Notts County,
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
, Chester City,
Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...
and
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic ...
en route to
the final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against Southend United at the
Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...
. The final was settled in extra time, with Ugarte and
Darren Ferguson Darren Ferguson (born 9 February 1972) is a Scottish professional football manager and former player, who was most recently the manager of Championship club Peterborough United. In between his stints with Peterborough, he also managed Preston N ...
securing a 2–0 victory. The club earned £250,000 in prize money and the first national trophy in Wrexham's history. Smith turned down the managerial role at Blackpool to remain in place at Wrexham for 2005–06. He signed goalkeeper Michael Ingham, defenders
David Bayliss David Anthony Bayliss (born 8 June 1976) is an English football scout. He previously played in defence, and was manager at Barrow. Career Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Bayliss joined Rochdale and progressed through the ranks, making his Footba ...
and
Lee Roche Lee Paul Roche (born 28 October 1980) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a right sided full-back but could also play on the right of midfield. Club career Manchester United Roche started his career as a trainee at Manche ...
, and strikers
Lee McEvilly Lee Richard McEvilly (born 15 April 1982) aka 'The Sheriff' is a retired footballer who played as a striker. Although born in England, he won one cap for the Northern Ireland national team in 2002 and also played for Northern Ireland at under ...
and
Jonathan Walters Jonathan Ronald Walters (born 20 September 1983) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Walters started his career at Blackburn Rovers but failed to break into the first team and joined Bolton Wanderers. He then went out ...
, whilst blooding brothers
Marc Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...
and Mike Williams. However, Wrexham struggled in the league, despite on loan striker
Matt Derbyshire Matthew Anthony Derbyshire (born 14 April 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Indian Super League club NorthEast United. He played for Blackburn Rovers for five years, and had loan spells with Plymouth Argy ...
scoring 10 goals in 16 appearances. They finished the season 13th in
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
, having won only one of their last nine matches. The last match of the season was a 1–1 draw with former club Oxford, which hastened Oxford's relegation out of the Football League. Wrexham exited 18 months of administration at the start of 2006–07, and started the season with an eight-match unbeaten run, including a 4–1 win over
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
club Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup. However, a 5–0 defeat at
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
triggered a run of bad results that Smith was unable to turn around. With Wrexham hovering above the relegation zone in 18th place, Smith was dismissed on 11 January 2007. He is one of only 24 people to have managed over 1,000 professional matches in English football.


Personal life

He married childhood sweetheart Kate in October 1967. Their first child Paul was born in April 1969, and was named after teammate
Paul Shardlow Paul Michael Shardlow (29 April 1943 – 14 October 1968) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Stoke City. He also played cricket for Staffordshire. Career Football career Shardlow was born in Stone, Stafford ...
, who had died six months earlier. They had two further children: Becky (born 1971) and Tom (born 1978). Smith released his autobiography, ''Just One Of Seven'', in November 2008. He writes a weekly column for '' The Sentinel'' and is occasionally a commentator on Stoke matches for
BBC Radio Stoke BBC Radio Stoke is the BBC's local radio station serving Staffordshire and South Cheshire. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, Freeview and via BBC Sounds from studios in the Hanley area of Stoke-on-Trent. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekl ...
. In July 2011, he re-joined Stoke on a part-time basis as a mentor for young
Academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...
players needing guidance off the pitch.


Career statistics


As a player


As a manager


Honours


As a player

Stoke City *
Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third ti ...
third-place promotion: 1978–79 *
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
: 1971–72 *
Watney Cup The Watney Mann Invitation Cup (normally referred to as simply the Watney Cup) was a short-lived English football tournament held in the early 1970s. It was held before the start of the season, and was contested by the teams that had scored th ...
: 1973–74


As a manager

York City *
Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name ...
: 1983–84 Sunderland *
Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 and again from 1958 until 1992. When the FA Premier League was formed, the division become the fourth tier level. In 2004, following the f ...
: 1987–88 *Football League Second Division promotion: 1989–90 Oxford United *Football League Second Division promotion: 1995–96 Wrexham *
FAW Premier Cup The FAW Premier Cup (until 1998 the FAW Invitation Cup) was a Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008. Since the FAW excluded clubs playing in English leagues (including six Welsh c ...
: 2002–03, 2003–04 *Football League Third Division third-place promotion: 2002–03 *
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
: 2004–05 Individual *
Football League Fourth Division Manager of the Month Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
: March 1984 *
Football League Third Division Manager of the Month The Football League Third Division Manager of the Month award was a monthly prize of recognition given to association football managers in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of English football from 1992 to 2004. The award was anno ...
: September 2002, April 2003 * Third Division Manager of the Season: 2002–03


References

General * Specific


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Denis 1947 births Living people Footballers from Stoke-on-Trent English footballers Association football defenders Stoke City F.C. players York City F.C. players English Football League players English Football League representative players English football managers York City F.C. managers Sunderland A.F.C. managers Bristol City F.C. managers Oxford United F.C. managers West Bromwich Albion F.C. managers Wrexham A.F.C. managers English Football League managers Association football coaches Stoke City F.C. non-playing staff English autobiographers English columnists