Biography
Michael Kenneth “Mike” Smith was born in Hull and attended Sydney Smith High School prior to joining Hull City’s YTS scheme in July 1985, emerging alongside future talents Dean Windass, Leigh Jenkinson, Gavin Kelly and Neil Buckley. Smith played in every game and scored regularly for City’s Juniors side during the 1985/86 season, including a hattrick against Lincoln City’s Juniors in April 1986, and continued to impress during the 1986/87 season, notching another hattrick in February 1987 against Sheffield Wednesday’s Juniors.
Smith signed professional terms with the Tigers in May 1987, after scoring 32 goals for the Juniors and Reserves sides during the 1987/88 season his professional development included spending the summer of 1988 in New Zealand as part of the club twinning with Porirua Viard United that also bought Herry Ngata to the Tigers.
Mike was given his senior debut in September 1988 by manager Eddie Gray, playing in wide attacking positions, and his only goal for City came in October 1988 against Chelsea in a 3-0 win – but as the season wore his first team appearances became more sporadic. When Gray was replaced by Colin Appleton for the 1989/90 season, who in turn was rapidly replaced by Stan Ternent, Smith managed only one start – in Appleton’s final game, a 0-2 home defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion. It was another thirteen months before he was selected for the first team again, only a week before Stan Ternent was replaced by Terry Dolan, who also used him occasionally. Smith he left the Tigers in the 1991 close season.
Smith joined Scottish First Division side Ayr United in June 1991, reuniting with ex-Tigers and his former youth team coach Dale Roberts. He scored on his debut for The Honest Men against Forfar Athletic in August 1991, in his only season at Somerton Park he scored eight goals in 28 appearances including a brace that helped defeat Queen of the South in the B&Q Cup semi-final and earn a place in the final, which was lost to Hamilton Academical.
Mike left Ayr in May 1992 and returned to the East Riding, having a trial at Dennis Booth’s Stafford Rangers side before signing for Northern Premier League side Bridlington Town in July 1992. His contract was terminated by the financially-troubled Bridlington side in September 1992 and a month later he joined Northern Premier League rivals Goole Town. By January 1993 had been handed the captain’s armband and was attracting the attention of several Scottish Premier League sides, but a move didn’t transpire and in August 1993 he broke his leg in a match against Spennymoor United. His return to fitness in February 1994 coincided with the latest financial emergency at Goole Town and the resulting departure of manager Tim Hotte – he left Goole that summer and started the 1994/95 season at ambitious Northern Counties East League side Immingham Town before switching to Hotte’s divisional rivals North Ferriby United in January 1995. In November 1995 Smith returned to Goole Town before re-signing for North Ferriby United in January 1996, where he has part of the team that reached the May 1997 FA Vase Final at Wembley against Whitby Town.
Mike joined Lincoln United in July 1997 but by October 1997 he had returned once again to North Ferriby United where he spent two more seasons before drawing his career to a close at the end of 1999. By this time he was working for Hull’s telephone company KCOM, he later embarked on a career in sales, ending up joining local building trade supplier Travis Perkins in 2018.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 19 December 1968, Hull
Hull City First Game: 24 September 1988, Oldham Athletic A (Division Two), 19 years, 280 days old
Hull City Final Game: 11 May 1991, Newcastle United A (Division Two), 22 years, 143 days old
Clubs
Hull City (1987-1991), Ayr United (1991-1992), Bridlington Town (1992), Goole Town (1992-1994), Immingham Town (1994-1995), North Ferriby United (1995), Goole Town (1995-1996), North Ferriby United (1996-1997), Lincoln United (1997), North Ferriby United (1997-1999)
Hull City Record
Career: 20 apps, 1 goals
Mike Smith| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987/88 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1988/89 | 9 (3) | 1 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 1989/90 | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1990/91 | 4 (2) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |