Dave Smith (footballer)

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For other Dave Smith, see Dave Smith (disambiguation)

Dave Smith, born on 22nd September 1933 in Dundee, is a Scottish footballer and manager.

1 Player
2 Manager
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Player

As a player at Burnley.

Smith started his career as a 16 year old at First Division Burnley. After 11 years at Burnley, he had short spells at Brighton and Bristol City before retiring to take up coaching at Sheffield Wednesday. Further coaching stints followed at Newcastle United and Arsenal.

[edit] Manager

The manager celebrates as Argyle score.

His first management job was at Fourth Division Mansfield Town in 1974 where re-election was just avoided. The following season was a triumph, Mansfield taking the title by six points without losing a game at home.

The next job was at Southend United where in his second season promotion from the Fourth Division was achieved once again, this time as runners up to Watford in 1978. Two seasons of struggle followed resulting in relegation. Once again promotion was achieved at the first attempt, this time as champions, with nine club records broken in the process. Third Division safety was then achieved and Smith's job was assured until a takeover left him out.

Sixteen months followed out of football selling insurance and applying for every vacant manager's position. Smith then took over at Third Division Plymouth Argyle in December 1984 from Johnny Hore and fifteenth position was achieved in his first part-season. The following year promotion was achieved to the Second Division as runners up to Reading. A comfortable seventh position was achieved at the higher level, one of the club's highest ever.

The summer of 1988 resulted in another move, back to Scotland and his home town club Dundee.

In 1989, Smith returned to the West Country at Torquay United before retiring in 1991. He is now involved in coaching at a grass-roots level, running soccer schools in the Plymouth area.