A sit down with... Richard Smith
A sit down with... Richard Smith
Richard you'll have either been on the end of a full blooded tackle or you would have been on the receiving end of some "constructive criticism" while he's in the dugout. As part of some very successful teams during his playing career with the likes of Eastwood Town & Rainworth Miners Welfare as well as a coach too with Selston FC & Rainworth. Richard is one of the nicest guys you'll meet in football who has so many stories to te
As a young player you played for Mansfield, Manchester United & a YTS at Notts County. Firstly, how did the Manchester United move come about?
It was a bit different back then with no
academies so I was playing for Wollaton on a Saturday and we had a great side
full of rum lads who I think half are now in prison. We played in a tournament
in Loughborough and a scout picked me up there. I scored a hat trick in my
first game and was there for about a year. As you know I’m a Liverpool fan but
I can understand why they were so good as the first time me and the old man
went to the Cliff, we were ushered in to Alex Fergusons office and he sat and
chatted with us for 10mins knowing our names then called in a young Ryan Giggs
to show us both round the facilities. Showed so much about the genius of the
man and his level of detail about the whole club.
And what was it like being a YTS in
the 90’s?
I’d describe it as enjoyable slavery, it was
brutal at times. We lived in digs in West Bridgford with the gaffa John Gaunt
& family who strangely only had heating and decent food in his living
quarters and us 16 lads slept in coats, hats and gloves and just got fed carbs
so monster plates of pasta, beans on toast and jackets upon jackets of
potatoes. He was a feared old school bloke who got the balance between beating
the living daylights out of you and putting his arm round you just about right,
and he’d be ‘rate we you’ if you were ‘rate we him’ He seemed to like me though
so I got less of his black stick than most. Lads these days wouldn’t last a day
in that environment before ringing a lawyer but we loved it and I had the
upmost respect for him.
YTS was 6 days a week, with youth games Saturday morning and with your 1st year being jobs before the pro’s got there making sure they had everything they needed, then you’d train, and then back to the club to do more jobs cleaning changing rooms, balls, kit etc then just enough time for a bootroom beating and getting your knackers ripped off with wire brushes by the 2nd years before back to the digs for tea time. You’d also be at the club for all reserve and match days doing jobs and cleaning up after the game all for £35 a week. You ask anyone though and it was some of the best years of their lives & definitely made you both a physically & mentally stronger person.
We first crossed paths when you were at Eastwood Town. Remembering back. That was some squad at Eastwood. How do you look back on your time at Eastwood?
Again loved it. I was fortunate that when I got released at County the Eastwood left back had just left and although I was a midfielder, Martin Bullock who Eastwood sold to Barnsley & my brothers best mate rang Brian 2 say I was available and then I hardly missed a game for the next 6 years.
Exeter, 1st round proper, with
Eastwood Town. Firstly, talk us through that experience and your goal?
More importantly, the shenanigans pre
and post match for a team taking over a hotel?
We had 2 great sides in that 6 years and this one was the best.
It was step 3 as it is now and we were doing really well in the league and got
to the 1st round after beating Droylsden away who were a league higher and
thought they just need to turn up to beat us and were very cocky which we
thrived on being the underdog & we stuck to the normal game plan of work
our nuts off for 75mins and wear them down then bring on Kenners and Cloughy up
tops and they run their tired defenders ragged. We scored 2 in the last 10mins
to win the game and it was the 1st time in the clubs history they’d got that
far.
We drew Exeter who were equivalent of league 2 now which was
miles away so Trent FM agreed to pay for an all expenses overnight stay so we
took advantage of that. I never drunk Fridays before a game but Brian Chambers
just said to the lads do what you normally do but don’t be daft so the lads
were straight to the phone for room service for a round of free drinks. 10
pints later there’s me and few others climbing out the hotel window and down
the fire escape to find a nightclub. Fortunately, Jack Fell bless his soul had
nipped to the offy for some fags and saw us half way down the side of the hotel
and gave us a bollocking and sent us scrambling back up through the window and
off to bed.
The day itself and build up the game is a bit of a blur but I
remember the nerves taking over for the first 10mins but then we settled and
although went down 2-0 just after half time we were growing in
confidence.
My goal came mid 2nd half and was a right foot swinger from just
outside the box. It flew in and we were back in it & can remember running
towards the crowd with my shirt off. These days I’d have been sent off as I’d
already been booked for following the gaffas orders of smashing their captain
early doors to show we’re not scared so the shirt off would’ve been early bath
time. I can remember Tommo missing a one on one to level it and we just
couldn’t get that equaliser we deserved and we came off really disappointed
we’d not taken them back to Eastwood but we got a standing ovation from both
sets of fans. An amazing day and great memories for life.
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| You might just recognise the mascot |
As a lad you had opportunities to
make it in the professional game. Did that opportunity ever arise to get back
into a professional club?
Eastwood had a strategy of selling a player a
year which helped fund the budget and also helped Brian keep himself in BMW’s
as he got a slice of the transfer fee. The first year I was there we sold Glen
Kirkwood to Donny so the 2nd year was supposed to be my turn. I was 19 years
old starting in midfield at a decent level and playing really well so that was
bound to bring interest so when Brian said he’d had interest from Palace and
Liverpool he got an agent round to my house which ended up being Nobby Stiles
son, John, and both were rubbing their hands. Unfortunately the next game at
home the week after 10mins I followed normal orders and smashed into their
captain which he didn’t take so well and got a punch in at me so I retaliated
and stuck the nut in and that was it, we were both off! As I’m taking the walk
of shame I can see a few blokes in scouts coats leaving and I look at Brian
with his head in his hands now realising that deposit he’d put on his next
motor would have to be cancelled.
Once your time at Eastwood came to
and end. You had 4 promotions in 5 years at Rainworth. How good was that
Rainworth team?
I had 3 really enjoyable years at Glapwell
first under Andy Kirk and Junior Glave with some great lads and then a half
season spell at Sutton Town. I’d just had my first kid so didn’t want to be
travelling to Workington, Kendal etc at weekends so the North East Counties
& being home for Gladiators suited me much better.
I joined Rainworth half way through the season and as you say we
went on an amazing run of promotions right to the Unibond with a core group of
the team remaining the same. For what the group of players lacked in skill we
made it up bucketloads in effort, desire and teamwork. We took massive pride in
not conceding and apart from Dagger our fitness levels were immense as the asst
manager was the great ‘Bastard’ Billy Miller who worked under Rammers at
Hucknall so we never saw a ball on the Tuesday sessions, and that won us a lot
of games. That changing room was brilliant and we were all really close and
still good friends now so when the backs were against the walls we’d pull each
other through.
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| Celebrations for Rainworth |
Your all time 5 a side team of players you have played with/coached and why?
1 Keeper,
1 defender
2 midfielders
1 striker
Goalkeeper - Mark Hales - best GK I’ve played with. Unbelievable
ability to save penalties & the ‘flapping tax’ he paid into the kitty on
crosses always paid for a good end of season doo. One of the best blokes out
there too.
Defender - Carl Flint - the Ginger Baresi was some player too.
Speed of a slug but hardly ever got beat as so good positionally wise. Loved a
tackle & loved a drink so perfect in my team.
Midfielder - Gary Breach - Dreds is the complete player for me
and my hero. We’re still competing on who’s gonna retire the most times but his
longevity in non league and his ability to play anywhere plus again also loves
a tackle and a drink so a shoe in for me.
Midfielder - Gary Castledine - Every side needs a genius &
Draggers is without doubt the best player I’ve played with. Amazing how one
player can change a team but he did that at Eastwood. My job was to do all of
his (& Freddy Morgan’s) running in a midfield 3 & win the ball back and
give it to him. I’d come off needing an oxygen tank, Freddy would come off with
the match ball & Cass with a bottle of bubbly for MoM but I didn’t mind at
all as an absolute pleasure to play with. It was like that Harry Enfield sketch
with Charles Charlie Charles who had the ball glued to his feet. Lovely bloke
too
Striker - Marc Smith - tough one as was a choice between Gav
Worboys & Big Smiggs but I’m going for Smiggs as he was another you’d want
in the trenches with you, Gav was different class though. Had some of the best
nights out with Big Smiggs too so that edged it.
Footballing Dinner party. Richard
Smith & 4 guests dead or alive. Who’s getting an invite?
Never really been one for heroes, I prefer
normal company so I’d probably just go same as above but I’d swap Gary
Castledine for Paul Gascoigne as Cass can’t drink. Alternatively swap one Cass
for another & ask Cass Pennant as security for Breachy once he’s been on
the shorts as he’s a nightmare.
Craig Weston brought you into Selston
to be assistant manager. With limited resources you went from Step 7 to Step 5.
How important was the core of that squad to your success?
Craig had already got the side to step 6 and
had a great core set of lads. It’d be over doing it to say limited resources as
we had no resources, we even had to nick balls to have some to train with. We
had a decent first season finishing 4th but knew we had to bring in a number of
players to help the core experienced lads but with no money we had to take a
chance on young lads who we thought would step up & they did. To do what we
did as a club winning that league against the money being chucked about
especially at Newark Flowserve, was unbelievable.
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| Richard & Craig Weston Celebrating a Selston league win |
When going into coaching. How much did you take from your time under legendary managers such as Brian Chambers & Rudy Funk?
To be honest both Brian & Rudi were
managers who didn’t coach but bought in very good people to do that for them
whilst they bought in the money & the players. That’s not a criticism as
they did that very well & they always treated me well so I’ve nothing but good
things to say about them. What I really enjoyed about managing was giving lads
a chance whether it was their first taste of men’s football or lads who’d lost
their confidence & we gave it them back & we had success with many of
the lads stepping up, which mirrored Brian’s approach.
The manager I took most from was Andy Kirk & his asst Junior
who were and still are brilliant people who created a great atmosphere &
treated you right so you’d run through several brick walls for them. If you can
get lads to do that for you then you’ve succeeded.
You have been involved in the game
for 25+ years. What have the biggest changes been in non league football?
Where do I start? Commitment was far higher
back then in that you knew you trained Tuesday & Thursday & played Saturday,
so you planned your life was around that. You’d also take holidays in May/June,
so you didn’t miss games. I remember once going to my cousins wedding service
in Long Eaton then driving to Rainworth to play whilst the wedding party was
having food/speeches & then I left straight after the game to go back to
the wedding in time for the 1st dance. It was a top of the league clash so I
wasn’t going to miss it but I was in bad books for months afterwards. Nowadays
there’s a lot of lads who don’t think that way & COVID + cost of living
issues has understandably made lads question their priorities. Saying that I
always say to lads that it’s family, work, football in that order so I’m not
going to be a hypocrite as that’s exactly what I’m currently prioritising.
The game is much softer & the feigning of injury and
cheating to win fouls has trickled down from the Premier League. People say
it’s part of the game but not for me and probably why you see so many old
school disillusioned with it now. I wouldn’t be able to look at my old man in
the face if I’d have squealed after a tackle like you see now, it was all about
showing the opposition you weren’t hurt but now it’s turned full circle. That
has meant younger lads are definitely physically softer. I can’t remember lads
missing games 20 years ago unless they had broken something. We had awful
injuries last season at Rainworth so I had to come on for the 2nd half in one
game & I broke my leg after 5mins & played on for 40 more but a bad
twisted sock now & some lads think they’re on deaths door.
I’m not sure it hurts lads the same it did us when they lose
either. It ruined my whole week if we didn’t win & we’d be coming to blows
with each other at half time or full time if one of us wasn’t doing our job.
You now really have to think about who on the rare occasion you give a ragging
too as only the strongest mentally & physically can accept it now.
The only positive for me is that lads are now talking about
mental health as you never heard it of years ago. It’s deeply saddening to keep
hearing about young lads with their whole life’s ahead of them taking their own
lives and if talking would have helped them, then we should definitely raise
the awareness of this more.
Richard, you’re known for being a
nightmare for a referee on the sideline & tough tackling on the pitch but
you also are heavily involved in charity work. What is it you do and is there
anything people can do to get involved?
I know I’m forgiven by most officials as
they’ve dined out on me regularly at Notts FA Xmas doo’s with the amount of
fines I’ve paid. Tbf to them they do have a tough job and I definitely wouldn’t
do it.
With regards to charity work, I joined a group of ZZ top
lookalikes motor bikers years ago called ‘Gears of Goodwill’ as a one off
feeding the homeless in Derby & it made such an impression on me that night
I kept going back & now 5 years later I’m a trustee & we’ve turned it
into a proper charity & feed hundreds of homeless/in need friends a week
with a soup kitchen in Derby. We also support families in need during the week
& the charity has now set up mental health weekly groups for both sexes to
try and avoid the sad deaths we’ve seen over the years.
Thank you again to you & your family who donated hats &
scarfs last winter, that helped a lot of our friends stay warm. We accept
donations both monetary or food/drink/clothes/sleeping bags etc which we’ll
pass on so happy to be contacted if anyone thinks they can help in any
way.
The truth is a lot of people are just 1 or 2 missed pay
cheques or wrong decisions (& haven’t we all made more than that in our
lives) from being in the same position. The easiest thing to do though is just
try to be a good person & look after folk the way you’d like to be looked
after if you were in that unfortunate position. Simple as that really.
A big thank you to Richard for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer the questions above and share his stories from a very successful time in football. I look forward to meeting up with you and taking a game in with you in the not too distant future.
If you would like to feature on a future interview drop me a message on twitter and I would love to share your football story through the blog. We all have a footballing story to tell and whether that be through the longer form "A sit down with..." or the shorter "In Profile" there's a blog for everyone. I’m really enjoying putting these together with some more exciting future guests to come.
Until the next one
Peace
Luke @PL2NL
