Smith, Mark (1986-87)

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Fullname: Mark Alexander Smith
aka: Mark Smith
Born: 16 December 1964
Birthplace: Bellshill
Signed: 6 June 86 (from Queen’s Park)
Left: 9 Oct 1987 (to Dunfermline)
Position: Winger
Debut: Celtic 2-0 Airdrie, League Cup, 20 Aug 1986
Internationals: none

Biog

Bellshill-born Mark Smith was signed from Queens Park in June 1986 but his stay with the Hoops was short lived.

He had in fact been with the Celtic Boys Club as a youngster even though St Mirren had signed him on an S-Form (dropped for being ‘too wee, too thin‘ but a ‘very nice lad‘), leaving at 15 to join Queen’s Park when a friend – a certain Malky Mackay, also of Bellshill – suggested he might enjoy training with the U18’s and the likelihood of a game.

A quick and direct winger, the gangly Mark Smith had caught the eye of Celtic boss Davie Hay playing for The Spiders in a Scottish Cup tie at Parkhead in February 1986. Following his arrival at Parkhead in the summer, Mark Smith made his competitive debut in a 2-0 League Cup home win over Airdrie on August 20th 1986.

He had some fine games, including in a 3-0 victory over St Mirren with one paper commenting positively on his performance:

“A slip of a lad called Mark Smith stole the show at Parkhead”.

After a promising enough start to his Celtic career Mark Smith was hampered by injury from September onwards, and when Billy McNeill arrived as the new manager in the summer of 1987 the winger was told he had no future at Celtic.

So after just one full season and eight appearances Mark Smith departed for Dunfermline in October 1987.

Possibly it was too much for him at Celtic, especially with the financial revolution that had begun at Rangers spending big on transfers affecting the club badly (we’d also lost a huge league lead to lose the title that season). As he was to put it:

“There’s a great spirit here [at Dunfermline]. At Parkhead it was different. You had only to look at the faces of some of the players to see the pressure they were under.”

The fact is that this was in reflection a pivotal season in Scottish football. Souness’s arrival at Rangers had imported the high spending to succeed culture, so the old fashioned rearing and development of players was to become devalued relegated in the list of priorities.

He helped to knock Rangers out the Scottish Cup in his first season for Dunfermline, with a goal in a 2-0 win. He then collapsed once in the changing rooms. Rangers hatchet man/thug had tried to bring him down in the game, and hacked him getting himself sent off. Mark Smith’s golden match of his career most likely, and one that all Celtic fans will love about him the most despite the unsuccessful time at Celtic.

Legendary manager Brian Clough signed him for £100k for Notts Forest, which should have been a hopeful second chance. Sadly it wasn’t to be and he never won a first team match for them.

Played out his days in lower tier sides where he helped Shrewsbury Town to a ‘Football League Third Division’ title in season 1993-94. Spent his longest tenure at Shrewsbury town.

However, he appears to have had a strong tie with Queen’s Park and ended his playing days at Queens Park in 1998, the same club he got his first senior matches.

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic

None

Pictures

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