Neil Smith (footballer)

Neil Smith (born Lambeth, 30 September 1971) is an English former professional football player and currently first team manager at Cray Wanderers.

Playing career

Smith started his career at Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice but after a year had failed to break through to the team. He went on loan to Gillingham and then signed for them permanently in 1991, going on to make over 200 appearances. During his time at the Gills in 1995, Smith was on the verge of a move to then Division Two club Brentford. However, when the fee was set at £50,000 by a tribunal, then Brentford manager David Webb felt he could find better value elsewhere, hence the deal fell through and Smith remained at Gillingham for two more seasons.

He moved to Fulham in 1997 for two seasons, making 75 appearances and scoring two goals. He scored once against Colchester in the league and also scored against former club Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, before joining Reading, where he made some 65 appearances in a three-year spell. He was part of promotion-winning sides at Gillingham, Fulham and Reading.

Smith briefly joined Stevenage Borough in 2002 before Glenn Cockerill bought him to Woking where he played a vital part in the escape from relegation that season. He made 180 appearances for Woking and had a short spell as caretaker manager before being released in 2007. He signed for Bromley in 2008 before calling time on his playing career. On 19 July 2008, Kingfield hosted a benefit game for Smith to celebrate the six years he spent at Woking.

Smith joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Maidstone United as a player on 18 October 2008 following his release from the coaching staff at financially troubled Grays Athletic. He made his debut in the FA Trophy 1st qualifying round tie against AFC Hornchurch.

Managerial career

Smith was appointed joint caretaker manager of Woking in March 2007 with Graham Baker following the departure of Glenn Cockerill, helping the club to stay in the Conference National.

On 4 May 2007, after failing to get the job full-time, Smith was released by Woking following the appointment of Frank Gray as manager. Two weeks later Smith was appointed as the new manager of Conference South team Welling United following the departure of Adrian Pennock to Stoke City. He held the job until 7 January 2008, when he was sacked. Shortly after this he signed for Bromley as a player.

Smith joined Grays Athletic as part of their coaching staff on 21 February 2008. He then joined Tim O'Shea, with whom he worked with at Grays, at Croydon Athletic as a coach and again followed O'Shea to Lewes as his assistant. Following Lewes's relegation he re-joined Bromley at the start of 2011–12 as part of the coaching staff. Following the departure of Mark Goldberg in February 2016, Smith took over the role on an interim basis. On 4 April, after a successful run of games, Smith signed a two-year contract to become the club's new first team manager.

Smith was appointed as manager of Cray Wanderers on 22 March 2022.

Honours

Bromley
* FA Trophy runner-up: 2017–18

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Neil
1971 births
Living people
Footballers from the London Borough of Lambeth
English men's footballers
Gillingham F.C. players
Fulham F.C. players
Reading F.C. players
Stevenage F.C. players
Woking F.C. players
Welling United F.C. players
Bromley F.C. players
Maidstone United F.C. players
English Football League players
National League (English football) players
English football managers
Woking F.C. managers
Welling United F.C. managers
Bromley F.C. managers
Cray Wanderers F.C. managers
National League (English football) managers
Men's association football midfielders