*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Lee Smelt
Appearances: 14 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 2
Date / Year of birth: 13th March 1958
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 1976/77
Season of last appearance: 1987/88
Also played for: Bishop's Stortford, Colchester United (0), Gravesend & Northfleet, Nottingham Forest (1,0), Peterborough United (7,0), Halifax Town (130,0), Cardiff City (Wales) (44,0), Exeter City (13,0), Maidstone United ,Welling United, Ashford Town and Hythe Town
6' 0" tall keeper born in Edmonton who started his senior career with Bishop's Stortford during the 1974/75 season and played for England Schoolboys before joining Colchester as a junior in 1975. In August 1976 Lee moved to Margate, initially on trial.
He made his debut for the club in a Southern League Cup tie against Hastings at Hartsdown on 21.8.76 and Lee was filling in whilst regular first-choice keeper Steve Bowtell was on trial at Derby. He went on to make a total of 13 appearances and turned in some excellent performances before moving on to Gravesend & Northfleet in October 1976.
Lee stayed with the Fleet until June 1980, making 208 appearances and keeping 69 clean sheets, before Brian Clough signed him for European Cup holders Nottingham Forest as understudy to the legendary Peter Shilton.
He made one Football League appearance for Forest in a game at West Bromwich Albion during the 1980/81 season and then had a loan spell with Peterborough in August 1981 (seven appearances) before being transferred to Halifax in October 1981.
Lee made 130 senior appearances for Halifax and then joined Cardiff in August 1984. Whilst with the Bluebirds he had a loan spell at Exeter (March 1985) and then in the summer of 1985 Lee dropped back into non-league football, joining Maidstone.
He made five appearances for the Stones during the early part of the 1985/86 campaign before moving on to Welling. Lee also had a spell with Ashford before returning to Hartsdown Park to join Thanet United shortly before the start of the 1987/88 season, almost eleven years after he'd left Margate.
Lee was signed as cover for first-choice Thanet keeper Joe Radford but never played for the reserves and only made a single first team appearance during 1987/88. The match concerned was a Southern League Cup tie at Hastings on 17.11.87 that United lost 5-2. Early in 1988 Dover enquired about Lee when they were looking for an understudy for Maurice Munden but nothing came of their interest. Lee's deal with Thanet expired in the summer of 1988 and he joined Hythe for the 1988/89 campaign.
He became Hythe player-manager Dave Carr's assistant for 1989/90 and made a couple of appearances too. Early in the 1990/91 season Lee himself became the club's manager, Carr had departed during the summer of 1990. In April 1991 he made a rare appearance for Hythe, coming on as a substitute against Ashford after keeper Steve O'Brien was sent off. Lee's first task was to face a penalty which was missed by John Crabbe. He left Hythe early in the 1991/92 campaign and in November 1991 Lee returned to Margate as manager.
In an interview for Margate's programme shortly after his appointment Lee shared his recollections of his original spell with the club in 1976. He said "Steve Bowtell was the first-choice keeper here when I arrived. He went on trial to Derby County and I was jealous of the chance that he had ! Also I couldn't get my 'angles' right when keeping goal at the top end of the ground !" When asked why he had left to join Gravesend Lee replied "Steve Bowtell didn't join Derby and returned to Margate. Gravesend wanted me and was nearer to my home." Asked how he felt about signing for Nottingham Forest Lee said "It felt like a weight off my back ! Being a professional footballer was all I ever wanted to be and I thought that my chance had gone." On the subject of Forest's legendary management duo Clough and Peter Taylor Lee said "players didn't really have that much contact with them, but they commanded a large air of respect, even when they were not in sight !"
On 7.5.92 Lee played for Margate's reserves in a Kent Midweek League game against Tonbridge at Hartsdown and kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 win.
In the summer of 1992 Margate defender Mark Weatherly became joint manager with Lee as he was about to join the police force and in September 1992 Lee left the club.
He later returned to Margate as a goalkeeping coach for a spell that included the 1996/97 season.
Lee's younger brother Marc also played for Thanet United and Margate and in 2003 Lee was still following a career in the police.
In 2005 his son Jack was on Arsenal's books as a junior and by the start of the 2008/09 season he was playing for Croydon Athletic. By then Lee was working as a goalkeeping coach at Charlton's academy.
During the 2010/11 campaign Jack joined Ramsgate and in August 2011 he signed for Margate.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1976/77 (MFC) |
13 (55) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (22ND OF 22) |
3QR |
1R |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1987/88 (TUFC) |
1 (56) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (5TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2QR |
GR |
1R |