Newcastle United’s Fairs Cup-winning coach turns 85
THE man who helped mastermind Newcastle United’s Fairs Cup triumph, nearly half a century ago, celebrates a milestone birthday today.
Former coach, Dave Smith, was born in Dundee on this day in 1933.
So, how is the 85-year-old these says?
“I’m not too bad at all. I just keep taking the pills,” he jokes over the phone from his home in Plymouth where he settled many years ago.
Smith began his playing career as a promising full-back with Burnley, but a series of leg injuries curtailed his time on the pitch.
Come the 1960s, he began working as a coach at the likes of Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday.
Smith arrived at St James’ Park in the summer of 1967, and a year later United began their European odyssey.
Dave recalls: “We had a good bunch of lads at Newcastle, some good players. During that Fairs Cup season, everything just gelled.
“I took care of the finer details and tactics, while Joe Harvey (Newcastle’s manager) had a more straightforward approach.
“But he was very clever in his own way and he had a great way with players.
“He also had a very good eye for players. Just look at some of the lads he signed.”
Nearly 50 years on, Smith counts his time at Newcastle United as the high point of his career.
The Scotsman left Gallowgate in 1971, becoming coach at Arsenal.
He would later manage at the likes of Mansfield, Southend, Plymouth, Torquay and Dundee, and he would coach locally in the South West during the 1990s.
“It’s hard to believe Newcastle haven’t won anything since 1969. I was sure they’d go on to win at least the FA Cup,” he says today.
And his verdict on Newcastle United in 2018?
“Well,” says Dave, “I think the manager’s got a real job on...”