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Tim Smithers

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Tim Smithers
Personal information
Full name Timothy Smithers
Date of birth (1956-01-22) 22 January 1956 (age 70)
Place of birth Ramsgate, England
Position Left back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1976–1980 Nuneaton Borough ? (?)
1980–1983 Oxford United 99 (6)
1983–1987 Nuneaton Borough 126 (30)
1987–1990 Atherstone United ? (?)
1991–1993 Bedworth United ? (?)
1994–1995 VS Rugby 17 (0)
International career
1986 England C 1 (0)
Managerial career
1993 Bedworth United (caretaker manager)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Timothy Smithers (born 22 January 1956 in Ramsgate) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League, as a left back.[1]

Club career

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Early career

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Before transitioning to professional football, Smithers worked with British Aerospace in Lutterworth for eight years as an aircraft fitter.[2]

In 1976, he was signed by Nuneaton Borough from Coventry Sphinx's junior team.[3] He debuted for Nuneaton Borough on April 6, 1976, against Margate, and scored two goals.[3] The following season, he participated in the 1977–78 FA Cup, where Nuneaton defeated Football League side Oxford United in the first round.[4] He also scored the winning goal in the 1978 Birmingham Senior Cup, where the club defeated Redditch United.[5] Smithers would win his second Birmingham Senior Cup when Nuneaton defeated Lye Town in 1980.[6] Following the club's success in the Birmingham Senior Cup, they secured additional silverware by winning the 1980 Midland Floodlit Cup against AP Leamington.[7]

Oxford United

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In February 1980, Smithers was linked with a possible move to Oxford United.[8] He officially signed with Oxford in May 1980, along with Malcolm Shotton, for a reported transfer fee of £15,000.[9][10][11] In his debut season in the Football League Third Division, he scored the lone goal against Millwall on August 30, 1981, which prevented the club from relegation.[12]

Injuries and irregular playing time marked his first season with Oxford, and he would become a starter the following season.[13] In the following season, as he became a starter, the club would also become promotion contenders.[13][14] In his final season with Oxford, he was linked with a potential move back to Nuneaton Borough.[15] Nuneaton Borough received Oxford's permission to negotiate with Smithers but failed to finalize a deal.[16]

Nuneaton Town

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In his final season with Oxford, he was relegated to the reserve side, which enabled Nuneaton Borough to pursue him.[17] A month later, his contract with Oxford was mutually terminated, and he returned to his former club.[18][19] Smithers helped the club finish as runners-up in the Alliance Premier League.[20] The following season, he helped Nuneaton avoid relegation.[21]

Atherstone United

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In 1987, Smithers was loaned to Atherstone Town for a month to play in the Southern Football League .[22][23] Following his months' trial with Atherstone, he signed permanently with the club on January 2, 1988.[24] He re-signed with Atherstone for the 1988-1989 season.[25] In his third season with the club, he was named the team's supporters player of the year and finished as the team's top goalscorer.[26][27]

Bedworth United

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After three years with Atherstone, he signed for Bedworth United in 1990.[28][29] He was re-signed by the club the following season and was selected as the player-assistant coach and team captain.[30][31] Throughout the 1991-1992 season, he managed a couple of matches as team manager while Brendon Phillips was on vacation.[32] Once the season concluded, he was named the club's player of the year and the supporters' player of the year.[33][34] Smithers was re-signed for the following campaign once more as the player-assistant coach.[35] After the season concluded, he announced his retirement and declined to continue as the caretaker manager for Bedworth.[36]

VS Rugby

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Despite announcing his retirement, he resumed his career by signing with division rivals VS Rugby.[37] Smithers re-signed with the club for the following season.[38]

International career

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In 1985, he was selected by Kevin Verity to represent the England national football C team in the Four Nations Tournament.[39]

Managerial career

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In 1985, while playing for Nuneaton Borough, Smithers served as an assistant coach to Richard Dixey.[40] After the departure of Brendon Phillips, he was named the caretaker manager for Bedworth United in April 1993.[41] He led Bedworth to secure the Midland Floodlit Cup by defeating Moor Green.[42]

In 1995, Stewart Robson, the manager for VS Rugby, appointed Smithers as one of his coaches.[43] However, he was released from his position a month later.[44]

Personal life

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In 1978, Smithers married Carole Ledbrooke at St. James Church in Whitley, Coventry.[45]

Honors

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Player

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Nuneaton Borough

Manager

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Bedworth United

  • Midland Floodlit Cup: 1993[42]

References

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  1. ↑ Profile at Neil Brown[unreliable source?]
  2. ↑ "Spotlight on Oxford". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 January 1982. p. 7.
  3. 1 2 "Hero Smithers Blasts Double as Borough Maintain Title Chase". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 7 April 1976. p. 26.
  4. ↑ "Brave Borough through in style". Sunday Mercury. 27 November 1977. p. 43.
  5. 1 2 "Tim Pops Up to Grab Late Cup Winner". Birmingham Evening Mail. 13 May 1978. p. 34.
  6. ↑ "Other Results - Birmingham Senior Cup Final". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 12 April 1980. p. 44.
  7. 1 2 3 Malyon, Mike (16 April 1980). "Shotton Spot on to Sink AP in Tough Tussle". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 22.
  8. ↑ White, Peter (16 February 1980). "Normal Service Resumed After TV Plan Flops". Sports Argus. p. 7.
  9. ↑ "40 000 Deal Boost for Smith". Sports Argus. 24 May 1980. p. 7.
  10. ↑ "Rivals Steer Clear of Spending Spree". The Chronicle. 8 August 1980. p. 24.
  11. ↑ "Tigers' debut for Kynman". Hull Daily Mail. 3 October 1980. p. 24.
  12. ↑ "Quick Smithers". Evening Telegraph. 30 April 1981. p. 10.
  13. 1 2 "'It Couldn't Have Been Better'". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 6 February 1982. p. 6.
  14. ↑ "Oxford let things slip". Sunday Mercury. 2 May 1982. p. 51.
  15. ↑ "Smithers on way back?". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 18 September 1982. p. 13.
  16. ↑ Fulbrook, Peter (9 November 1982). "Harriers accept offer for Nicholls". Worcester News. p. 12.
  17. ↑ Malyon, Mike (29 October 1983). "'Fed-up ' Smithers keen on Manor Park return". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 13.
  18. ↑ Tanner, Richard (2 November 1983). "Smithers set to join Boro'". Nuneaton Evening Telegraph. p. 2.
  19. ↑ Tanner, Richard (11 November 1983). "Smithers back for Borough". Nuneaton Evening Telegraph. p. 3.
  20. ↑ "Tim leads way in a rout!". Sunday Mercury. 9 September 1984. p. 46.
  21. ↑ "Nuneaton to stay in Gola League". Sunday Mercury. 4 May 1986. p. 46.
  22. ↑ "Merthyr Let It Slip". South Wales Echo. 25 November 1987. p. 30.
  23. ↑ "Glory Aim for Rugby". Sports Argus. 28 November 1987. p. 20.
  24. ↑ "Bradley Victim of Jinx". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 2 January 1988. p. 13.
  25. ↑ "It's All Systems Go for the New Non-League Season". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 27 August 1988.
  26. ↑ "Adders Chief Looks to Bright Future". Tamworth Herald. 1 June 1990.
  27. ↑ "McGinty Injury Piles on Agony for Unlucky VS". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 28 August 1990.
  28. ↑ "Adders: Two Must Go". Tamworth Herald. 28 September 1990. p. 88.
  29. ↑ Smith, Sally (29 September 1990). "Adders Forced to Unload Ace". Coventry Evening Telegraph.
  30. ↑ "Preparing for the off". Bedworth Echo. 1 August 1991. p. 20.
  31. ↑ "Bedworth Storm on as McBean Strikes Again". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 27 August 1991. p. 32.
  32. ↑ "What a let-down!". Bedworth Echo. 6 February 1992. p. 20.
  33. ↑ "Sperry Cuts Town to Size". Heartland Evening News. 26 May 1992. p. 19.
  34. ↑ "Greenbacks pass 'D' grading test". Bedworth Echo. 28 May 1992. p. 20.
  35. ↑ "Training resumes tonight". Bedworth Echo. 16 July 1992. p. 24.
  36. ↑ "Veteran Tim to end his playing days". Bedworth Echo. 6 May 1993. p. 35.
  37. ↑ "Adders and Boro lads in squad". Heartland News. 11 October 1993. p. 19.
  38. ↑ "VS Look to the Future". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 22 October 1994. p. 48.
  39. ↑ "Waiting game for Dougie". Burton Mail. 13 June 1985.
  40. ↑ Tanner, Richard (19 April 1985). "They're the tops". Nuneaton Evening Telegraph. p. 4.
  41. ↑ Brown, Derek (21 April 1993). "Phillips Shock for Greenbacks". Heartland Evening News. p. 16.
  42. 1 2 "Dixon is hero as Bedworth lift the cup". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 8 May 1993. p. 28.
  43. ↑ "City's Robson appointed as new manager of VS Rugby". Heartland Evening News. 12 October 1995. p. 28.
  44. ↑ "Smithers Out - Whetton In". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 18 November 1995. p. 12.
  45. ↑ "A Match for Soccer Player". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 10 July 1978. p. 22.
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