Smith Aims To Bridge City gap

[footyfan]

SUMMER signing Shaun Smith feels the difference in status between his former club Crewe and his new employees York City is "unbelievable".

Left-back Smith was a member of the Alexandra team that was beaten on penalties at Wembley by Alan Little's Minstermen in the 1993 Division Three play-off final.

But, since then, Crewe have spent six of the last seven seasons in the First Division and will kick off this campaign in the newly-named League Championship.

City, meanwhile, have slipped in the opposite direction culminating in the end of the club's 75-year stint in the Football League last season.

But Smith, 33, believes City can still return to meet Crewe on a level playing field if they concentrate on stability and developing a strong youth policy.

England internationals Danny Murphy, Rob Jones and Geoff Thomas have all rolled off the Crewe production line under Gradi and City's board have already underlined the Gresty Road club as an example of what can be achieved at a traditionally modest outfit with shrewd management on and off the pitch.

Smith, who should figure in tonight's friendly against Leeds United agrees, saying: "It's unbelievable what has happened to both clubs since that Wembley final and, perhaps, the only reminder is seeing Paul Stancliffe (City's head of youth development) around here and thinking he was the captain that day.

"Both clubs are a similar size and stature but, at least now, it looks like everything at York is sound financially and they want to do things right. I think the main key to success at Crewe has been stability because the manager has been there forever really. Dario Gradi's got his own way of doing things and has sorted things out from top to bottom.

"He's not bothered whether he's coaching the kids, the first team or whatever. I called there in the summer and they still have a conveyor belt of kids coming through because they do it right.

"There's eight or nine-year-olds there that put my skills to shame and they just teach them how to be footballers. They don't teach them how to be a full-back or a forward."

Smith has also taken a pay cut to join City after his dream move to Hull City two years ago went sour.

Just like ex-Minstermen keeper Alan Fettis, Smith fell out of favour at the KC Stadium following former England caretaker manager Peter Taylor's arrival.

He said: "Hull was a great move for me at the time but it just did not work out. It's a unique club at lower league level in terms of the facilities they have got and the fan base. Every year they seem to bring in eight or nine players and when Peter Taylor came in I did not fit into his plans.

"I went on loan two or three times and went to Rochdale at the end of last season but, for one reason or another, things did not work out there either. I learned of York's interest in the summer but it dragged on a bit and I wondered whether anything would happen.

"There were other options that I was beginning to look at but when it finally happened I was very pleased. I live in Leeds and money was never the main object.

"I was never going to hold anybody to ransom. I just want to get back to playing football regularly again and this moves gives me a great opportunity to do that. Prior to leaving Crewe, I always had done and it becomes a bit of a shock when you're suddenly not doing anything on a Saturday afternoon."

It appears City player-boss Brass will also be able to rely on Smith if the sparks begin to fly or he needs to plug a gap in defence as the former Crewe captain is training to be an electrician.

He recently missed the Sheffield Wednesday friendly because of an exam but he is not planning on hanging up his boots and picking up a drill for at least another three years.

He said: "It's a four-year course and something to look at when I do finish playing. If I do pass, it's something I can fall back on."
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KFC Member