Neil Smith (footballer)
Neil Smith (born Lambeth, 30 September 1971) is an English former professional football player and currently first team manager at Cray Wanderers. Playing career Smith started his career at Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice but after a year had failed to break through to the team. He went on loan to Gillingham and then signed for them permanently in 1991, going on to make over 200 appearances. During his time at the Gills in 1995, Smith was on the verge of a move to then Division Two club Brentford. However, when the fee was set at £50,000 by a tribunal, then Brentford manager David Webb felt he could find better value elsewhere, hence the deal fell through and Smith remained at Gillingham for two more seasons. He moved to Fulham in 1997 for two seasons, making 75 appearances and scoring two goals. He scored once against Colchester in the league and also scored against former club Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, before joining Reading, where he made some 65 appearances in a three-year spell. He was part of promotion-winning sides at Gillingham, Fulham and Reading. Smith briefly joined Stevenage Borough in 2002 before Glenn Cockerill bought him to Woking