Terry Smith (football)
Encyclopedia
Terry Smith is an American
-born American Football
player, sports coach and businessman. After starting his playing career as a defensive back
for American Football
franchise New England Patriots
, Smith went on to coach the Great Britain Spartans American football team. He later spent two years as owner of English
soccer club Chester City
from 1999 to 2001, and appointed himself as manager following the resignation of Kevin Ratcliffe
.
, and was placed on the injured reserve list. After a period coaching in Britain with the Spartans
, Smith turned his attention to soccer. He bought Chester City Football Club in July 1999, and declared his belief that the club could reach Division One
(now the Football League Championship
) within three years. He was credited with rescuing Chester from the brink of bankruptcy by supporters at the time, and announced an intention to appoint three supporters to the board.
Manager Kevin Ratcliffe
quit the job four games into the season. Despite by his own admission having little knowledge of soccer, Smith appointed himself as the leader of a five-man coaching team, in the role of team manager.
In Smith's four months in charge of team affairs, Chester were thrashed 5–1 and 4–1 by Leyton Orient
and Carlisle United
respectively, and required a replay to overcome non-league minnows Whyteleafe
in the FA Cup
. However they did find success in the League Cup
, beating First Division Port Vale
6–5 on aggregate. During the tie they won 2–1 at the Deva Stadium in a game which saw both Marcus Bent
and Martyn Lancaster
sent off, and then drew 4–4 in the return leg at Vale Park
. However they lost 6–0 (on aggregate) to Premier League Aston Villa
in the Second Round. His methods included reading aloud the Lord's Prayer
during the pre-match team talk, and appointing captains for the defence, midfield and attack.
Ian Atkins
was brought in as director of football in a bid to avoid relegation. Going into the final game of the season, Chester were 23rd, and faced a three–way battle with Shrewsbury Town
and Carlisle United
to avoid the drop to the Nationwide Conference. Due to Shrewsbury's 2-1 win at Exeter City
and Chester's home defeat by Peterborough United
, Chester were relegated from the league on the final day of the 1999–2000
season.
Atkins left, and fan favourite Graham Barrow
returned as manager, as did another former manager, Harry McNally
in a consultancy role. Barrow completely rebuilt the team, and his side managed a respectable ninth place and won the Conference Trophy in the 2000-01 season, and were mentioned as possible promotion contenders for the next season. In spite of this, Smith sacked Barrow, branding the season a failure, and appointed Gordon Hill, who he also stated was the manager he wanted to appoint instead of Barrow.
Chester made a dreadful start to the 2001–02 season
, winning only one of their first twelve matches. Smith finally sold his interest in the club to Stephen Vaughan
and left at the start of October 2001. Smith returned to his homeland, and worked as an American football coach at a high school in North Carolina
. In 2003, a British court ordered Chester City to repay £300,000 in unpaid loans to Smith and his family.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, sports coach and businessman. After starting his playing career as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
franchise New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Smith went on to coach the Great Britain Spartans American football team. He later spent two years as owner of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soccer club Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
from 1999 to 2001, and appointed himself as manager following the resignation of Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe is a former Welsh footballer who spent most of his career playing for Everton. He was born in Mancot, near Queensferry in North Wales.-Club career:...
.
Career
Smith started his professional American football playing career in the early 1980s, as a defensive back with the New England Patriots. However, he injured his knee in a game against the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and was placed on the injured reserve list. After a period coaching in Britain with the Spartans
Manchester Spartans
The Manchester Spartans were an English American football club based in Manchester. The club were founded in 1983 under the name Northwich Spartans. Becoming Manchester Spartans in 1984, the club became national champions in 1989 and 1990 and competed in Eurobowl IV in 1990...
, Smith turned his attention to soccer. He bought Chester City Football Club in July 1999, and declared his belief that the club could reach Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(now the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
) within three years. He was credited with rescuing Chester from the brink of bankruptcy by supporters at the time, and announced an intention to appoint three supporters to the board.
Manager Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe is a former Welsh footballer who spent most of his career playing for Everton. He was born in Mancot, near Queensferry in North Wales.-Club career:...
quit the job four games into the season. Despite by his own admission having little knowledge of soccer, Smith appointed himself as the leader of a five-man coaching team, in the role of team manager.
In Smith's four months in charge of team affairs, Chester were thrashed 5–1 and 4–1 by Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
and Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
respectively, and required a replay to overcome non-league minnows Whyteleafe
Whyteleafe F.C.
Whyteleafe F.C. are an English semi-professional football club based in Whyteleafe, Surrey. The club was established in 1946 and joined the Athenian League in 1981. They are currently members of Division One South of the Isthmian League.-History:...
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. However they did find success in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, beating First Division Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
6–5 on aggregate. During the tie they won 2–1 at the Deva Stadium in a game which saw both Marcus Bent
Marcus Bent
Marcus Nathan Bent is an English football striker who plays for Indonesian club Mitra Kukar. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker has played for fourteen different clubs, playing over 570 games and scoring 110 goals in the process.A England under-21 international, he...
and Martyn Lancaster
Martyn Lancaster
Martyn Lancaster is an English footballer currently playing for Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League.-Early career in England:...
sent off, and then drew 4–4 in the return leg at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
. However they lost 6–0 (on aggregate) to Premier League Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the Second Round. His methods included reading aloud the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
during the pre-match team talk, and appointing captains for the defence, midfield and attack.
Ian Atkins
Ian Atkins
Ian Leslie Atkins is a former English professional footballer who became a manager later in his career, and now works as a coach with Sunderland. During a 20-year playing career he had eight clubs, including two spells with Sunderland and Birmingham City and playing more than 200 games with his...
was brought in as director of football in a bid to avoid relegation. Going into the final game of the season, Chester were 23rd, and faced a three–way battle with Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
and Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
to avoid the drop to the Nationwide Conference. Due to Shrewsbury's 2-1 win at Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
and Chester's home defeat by Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, Chester were relegated from the league on the final day of the 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
season.
Atkins left, and fan favourite Graham Barrow
Graham Barrow
Graham Barrow is an English former footballer who has since become a lower division manager. He is currently part of the coaching staff at Premier League side Wigan Athletic, where he has previously been both a player and manager.-Barrow the Player:Barrow first entered the Football League at the...
returned as manager, as did another former manager, Harry McNally
Harry McNally
Harry McNally was a football player, coach and manager, noted for his spells as manager of Wigan Athletic and Chester City.-The Non-League Background:...
in a consultancy role. Barrow completely rebuilt the team, and his side managed a respectable ninth place and won the Conference Trophy in the 2000-01 season, and were mentioned as possible promotion contenders for the next season. In spite of this, Smith sacked Barrow, branding the season a failure, and appointed Gordon Hill, who he also stated was the manager he wanted to appoint instead of Barrow.
Chester made a dreadful start to the 2001–02 season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
, winning only one of their first twelve matches. Smith finally sold his interest in the club to Stephen Vaughan
Stephen Vaughan, Sr
Stephen Vaughan is an English businessman from Liverpool. As owner of Vaughan Promotions, originally a boxing promotion and management company, he has owned Barrow A.F.C. and Chester City football clubs, and has served as chairman of both...
and left at the start of October 2001. Smith returned to his homeland, and worked as an American football coach at a high school in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. In 2003, a British court ordered Chester City to repay £300,000 in unpaid loans to Smith and his family.