Headley: Farewell to a legend

Smudger: Gone but not forgotten

A well-respected defensive midfielder, Smith was the anchor in our most successful Gillingham side ever – and his steady performances in that role gave us the backbone to achieve great things. Always hugely popular with the fans, Smith won the fans’ player of the year award no less than four times – and as accolades go, that’s not bad going.

He was an integral part of Tony Pulis’ barnstorming team that so nearly beat Manchester City at Wembley in 1999. Sadly for Smudge, he was one of the Gills players to miss in the cruel penalty shootout at the end of one of the old stadium’s classic encounters. But the following season, as captain, he took the Gills back to Wembley again, this time under the stewardship of Peter Taylor. Smudge found himself out of the side for the playoff second leg against Stoke, but came on as a sub to seal Gillingham’s place at Wembley with a late breakaway goal, slotting a good finish past Gavin Ward after Steve Butler played him through.

His goal wasn’t enough to convince Taylor he deserved a starting role, however, with the gaffer preferring a midfield four of Gooden, Hessenthaler, Lewis and Southall. Once again, Smith came on to good effect, helping to stabilise the side in the latter stages of the match – and when the Gills produced a late, late comeback to floor Wigan in extra time, stand-in skipper Adrian Pennock stood aside to let Smith be the first man up the famous steps to collect the trophy.

More of a holding man in midfield than a lung-bursting action-man, Smith’s influence in the side was one of continuity rather than creativity. His best years as a player were probably when he was paired with Paul Shaw in the centre of midfield. Smith provided the stability and defensive cover, while Shaw provided the attacking options. It worked well, as the Gills soared to the heady heights of 11^th in the then Division One – uncharted territory for our little club.

Andy Hessenthaler had by now made the transition from captain to coach and then manager – and he relied heavily on Smith to anchor the side during his time as manager. Some might say he relied on Smudger too much. He was a near ever-present in Hessenthaler’s team – and on occasions, was even played when injured – a fact which may not have helped Smith’s longevity. As the team, which still contained a fair few players brought in by Tony Pulis, began to age, the club didn’t begin to replace the ageing players, instead Hessenthaler kept them in the side – and as a result the team’s performances began to dip. Whether it was finances or favouritism is open to debate, but the ageing Gills side, led by Smith, found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the pace and concentration needed to be successful at Championship level – and after the closest of shaves the season before, Gillingham were finally relegated at the end of last season.

The relegation clearly hit Smith hard. The images of the skipper sat on the City Ground turf, looking disconsolate and, it has to be said, prematurely old, will live long in the memory. He’d given his all, as had many of the players in the side, but it wasn’t quite enough.

The last couple of seasons had taken their toll. Smith had been relied upon far too much and eventually he ran out of gas. He still won the fans player of the year award last season, which was testament to the fans recognition of his effort, but in truth no player stood out as a worthy winner of the award last season, so bad was the team as a whole. But the fact that it was Smith, rather than anyone else, picking up the award says a lot about his popularity among the Gills fanbase.

When the club was relegated, it put Smith and one or two other players in a financial quandary. He’d been on a very good contract the previous few seasons, as it had been negotiated and signed during the brief boom in the Football League, caused by the new ITV Digital contract. However, the TV deal quickly went sour, meaning wages were slashed throughout the League’s 72 clubs. The effect of relegation to League One, plus the fact that Smith’s new deal would have to be brought into line with the club’s new wage structure, meant the club would have offered him a significantly reduced salary level. Smith, looking to secure what could be his last contract as a professional, has seemingly decided that the offer isn’t good enough, but sadly that’s the result of being with a club who, along with all other League clubs, has had to cut their cloth accordingly following movement of the financial goalposts. Gillingham’s relegation only meant those goalposts would have to be moved even more.

Paul Smith leaves Priestfield as a genuine legend. He has been one of the club’s great servants and I’d prefer to remember him for his performances at his peak, rather than over the last two seasons, where I’ve suggested he has been past his sell-by date. He’s been a player who has played more matches for the club over the last five seasons than any other player – and we should all thank him for his contribution to the club during the most successful period in Gillingham’s history.

I wish Smudger all the best for the rest of his career, while hoping that the departure of the old guard at Priestfield will spell a the dawn of a new era at our club.