Mike Smith (football manager)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mike Smith

| image =

| fullname = Michael John Smith

| birth_date = {{Birth year|1937}}

| birth_place = Hendon, England

| death_date = 21 July 2021 (aged 83)

| height =

| position =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 =

| clubs1 = Corinthian Casuals

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| manageryears1 = 1974–1979

| managerclubs1 = Wales

| manageryears2 = 1979–1982

| managerclubs2 = Hull City

| manageryears3 = 1985–1988

| managerclubs3 = Egypt

| manageryears4 = 1994–1995

| managerclubs4 = Wales

| medaltemplates = {{medalSport|Men's football}}

{{Medal|Country|{{fb|EGY}}}} (as manager)

}}

Michael John Smith (1937 – 21 July 2021{{cite web | url=https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/search-results | title=Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales) }}) was an English football manager, who managed the Wales and Egypt national teams and Hull City. Before becoming a manager, he had a playing career as an amateur, playing for the Corinthian Casuals.

Early career

Smith was born in Hendon, the son of a professional footballer. As a youth, he represented Middlesex at Under-15 and Under-18 levels and was a member of the FA Youth team which played a tournament in Strasbourg in 1953.{{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Gareth |last2=Garland |first2=Ian |title=Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players |year=1991|publisher=Bridge Books |isbn=1-872424-11-2 |page=235}}

He trained at Loughborough College of Education before becoming a teacher. He decided to remain in teaching rather than becoming a professional footballer but played as an amateur for the Corinthian Casuals.

Coaching and managerial career

Smith spent nine years coaching in Sussex before becoming team manager and coach to the Conference of English Grammar Schools. He was then appointed the Football Association of Wales Director of Coaching with responsibility for managing the Welsh amateur and youth international teams.

In 1974, Smith succeeded Dave Bowen to become the first English-born manager and first full-time manager of the Wales national football team. He guided Wales through their qualifying group before losing a play-off against Yugoslavia to reach the Finals proper of the 1976 European Football Championship. He was replaced by Mike England in 1979.

In December 1979, he was appointed manager of Hull City but was sacked, along with coach Cyril Lea, in March 1982.

Following a spell in sports promotion in Nottingham, Smith became the manager of Egypt in 1985. He led the team to victory in the 1986 African Cup of Nations; the only British manager to have won the competition as a coach.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/4446310.stm|title=British graveyard? |first=Martin|last=Davies|publisher=BBC Sport Online|date=17 November 2005 |access-date=6 June 2013}}

He left the Egyptian side in 1988, following which he was appointed Football development consultant to Anglesey County Council, overseeing their school of excellence in Holyhead. He also took charge of the Wales Youth team in 1989–90 before returning to the Wales national team role for 18 months from April 1994 to September 1995.{{cite web|title=Managers' records|url=http://www.welshfootballonline.com/players/managers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126082048/http://www.welshfootballonline.com/players/managers.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=26 January 2007|publisher=Welsh Football Online|access-date=6 June 2013}}

Later life and death

His death was announced on 22 July 2021. He was 83.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Glen |title=Former Wales manager Mike Smith dies aged 83 |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-wales-manager-mike-smith-21118897 |access-date=24 July 2021 |work=WalesOnline |date=22 July 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57931380|title=Former Wales manager Smith dies aged 83|work=BBC Sport |date=22 July 2021|accessdate=22 July 2021}}

Honours

Egypt

African Cup of Nations: 1986

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20120325070029/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/profile-1115.html Mike Smith] profile at the League Managers Association
{{Soccerbase manager|970}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Egypt squads

| bg = #CE1126

| fg = white

| bordercolor = black

| list =

}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Managerial positions

| list =

}}

Category:1937 births