Steven Smith
Name: Steven Smith Age: 26 Nickname: Mcfly and Joe's Monkey

Joined club:
2006

Other clubs I have played for:
None

Position:
Player/Assistant Coach

Football career highlights (with club or other club):
As I have dodgy knees I was allowed to play in the Ability Counts League for the team. In the first tournament of the 2006/07 season I scored the first goal, this meant I was the team top goalscorer even if it did only last 5 minutes. This was my first ever goal and I was so chuffed. Recently I was appointed Assistant coach and it is the first job I have done since leaving school. I have used my skills to work with and develop the players and have even done some one on one personal training with them. This has included passing, shooting, dribbling and have also shown the players how to dive to win penalties. My biggest success story was practicing the diving with Mark in Telford the night before we played in March. I was really able to show that I had potential as a future coach. At first he found it a bit hard, but once I helped him get in the swing of things there was no stopping him. I am planning on using the same training with our goalkeepers next

Successes with club:
Finished Runners-up in the 2007 BBS 5-a-side Open Tournament with South Shields VIFC, and also finished as Runners-up of the Premiership division in both the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons of the North East Ability Counts 7-a-side league.

My favourite training excercise:
An exercise where the players have to run around the pitch to get away from their partners without being caught. I like it because it reminds me of playing catchy Kissy at school. Although I never caught the girls, not even the big lasses. Joe had all the luck as he was faster than me.  

My favourite game with South Shields VIFC:
This has to be the games against West Bromwich Albion B in Telford (December 06) and the victory over West Bromwich Albion a in the semi final of the North Shields Tournament in the same season. In the semi final we were losing in both games and Joe did his normal team talk as he is brilliant at motivating the players. While I went to get the drinks bottles I thought to myself that on this occasion we needed more than that. So when I returned to the players. I told Joe I had something to say. The words of encouragement and motivation just came out my mouth like I was Winston Churchill. “Go forth my soldiers, hath faith and belief and you will conquer all that stand in your path. The force of the Shields lads is with you my brothers and friends” My words had an instant impact on the team and they pulled back what seemed an unattainable lead to then in dramatic fashion seal the win with a 3rd goal.  

Football Team(s) I support and why:
I supported Sunderland as a boy until Joe told me I had to support Newcastle.  

My favourite football player(s) and why:
The player I most try to be like is my hero Darren Anderton, poor sick-note was quality. People are now starting to compare me to Darren but I have a few injuries to go before I beat his record.  

My favourite game(s) and why:
Probably when Newcastle beat Manchester United 5-0 I had never seen a team dominate Man U like that before.

My favourite goal/save and why :
As a boy I remember watching Mexico 86 with my dad and can remember the goal that Diego Madonna scored for Argentina against England. He took on the whole England team and scored. I wish I could do that but I would have either tripped over my feet or skied the ball. What I would give to be as good as Diego Madonna.  

My ambitions as a player:
I would like to see my boys win the 1st Division title that would make me so proud. My personal ambition is just to be as good a footballer and coach as my best mate Joe.  

Other sports and hobbies I am interested in:
I enjoy science fiction books and films about space. Although I still have nightmares about Darth Vader visiting me from the Planet Vulcan. I also take pride in updating my stamp collection and I now have over 1000 1st class stamps. When I am not coaching I love nothing more than relaxing and spending time with my partner Ingrid. She makes me feel so special and will do anything for me. And she often tells me I make her heart go boom. Finally I also enjoy a good old fashioned game of Monopoly.  

Other comments:
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with South Shields VIFC and hope the players can understand me a bit better as we had a few communication problems in the early days as they couldn’t understand what I was telling them to do. If anyone wants to find out more about me I am normally at Joe’s house.