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About Simon Smith
‘His coaching of the club’s senior goalkeepers and his work with youngsters starting out in the game means that he has demonstrated that he has the expertise to get the very best out of players at all levels’. Sir Bobby Robson
Playing Career
Simon Smith began his professional career with Newcastle United in 1978, spending four years there before moving on to Whitley Bay F.C and then Gateshead F.C in the GM Vauxhall Conference, where he played 501 games over a ten year period. Simon also signed as a non-contract player for Carlisle United F.C., Sunderland A.F.C. and Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United F.C.
Simon started working at Newcastle United in 1993 as a Goalkeeping Coach, working firstly at the Centre of Excellence and latterly as Academy Goalkeeping Coach working with goalkeepers from the age of 8 –19. In the summer of 1999, Simon became First Team Goalkeeping Coach working under Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson. Simon was Sir Bobby Robson’s goalkeeping coach over a five year period from 1999 to 2004 coaching in The Premier League with goalkeepers Shay Given, Steve Harper, Lionel Perez, John Karelse and Tony Caig. During his time at Newcastle United they reached the F.A. Cup semi final, entered the Inter Toto Cup, qualified for the UEFA Cup twice and qualified for the UEFA Champions League reaching the second round stage, they also finished 4th, 3rd and 5th in The Premier League in seasons 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Professional Goalkeepers
Simon has also worked and still works with professional goalkeepers at Carlisle United F.C.(Keiren Westwood, Chris Howarth and Adam Bradley), and previously at Sunderland A. F.C., Carlisle United F.C., Wigan Athletic and Hartlepool United F.C. (Alec Chamberlain, David Preece, Tony Caig, Tony Elliott, Lee Butler, Roy Carroll, Martin Holland, Simon Miotto, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos and Jim Provett) Simon has also worked on a private basis with Czech International and former Newcastle United Goalkeeper - Pavel Srnicek.
The English Football Association
Simon works for The Football Association as an itinerant member of staff, working as the Goalkeeping Coach to England U19, U18 and U16 youth teams and as a Goalkeeping Scout for the Goalkeeping Department. Simon has also worked as Goalkeeping Coach to the England Ladies Football Team. Simon has worked as a Staff Coach on Goalkeeping In-Service Days and F.A.C.A Days. Simon delivers specific goalkeeping sessions on F.A./UEFA Coaching Courses from UEFA ‘C’ to UEFA ‘A’ standard and organises, staffs and administers specialist UEFA/F.A. Goalkeeping Courses from level 1 to level 4. Through his work with the F.A. Simon has coached some of the best young goalkeepers in the country including David Button, Tottenham Hotspur – Jason Steele, Middlesbrough F.C. - Ged Steer, Norwich City – Simon Eastwood, Huddersfield Town – Wesley Foderingham, Fulham – Dean Lyness, Birmingham City - Preston Edwards, Millwall F.C. – Ross Atkin, Derby County - David Martin, Liverpool F.C. - Tom Heaton, Manchester United – Joe Hart, Manchester City – Ben Alnwick, Tottenham Hotspur – Rhys Evans, Blackpool F.C. – Russell Howarth, Bradford City – Phil Senior , Huddersfield Town - Paul Rachubka, Blackpool F.C. and Sam Russell, Rochdale F.C.
Simon Smith Goalkeeping
After successfully completing a B.A.Sports Studies Degree in 1995, Simon set up his own goalkeeping coaching company - Simon Smith Goalkeeping. Simon Smith Goalkeeping is now in its tenth year with the main focus now being on a Nationwide Summer Tour and courses for Senior Goalkeepers and Goalkeeping Coaches. Many of the staff from Simon Smith Goalkeeping have gone on to work in professional football either in a full time or part time capacity; David Coles, fellow author and film maker, is at Portsmouth F.C., Adam Sadler is currently Reserve Team Manager at Newcastle United, Adam Bartlett is Academy Goalkeeping Coach at Newcastle United, Simon Hood is Assistant Academy Goalkeeping Coach at Middlesbrough F.C., Ben Smith is a professional goalkeeper at Doncaster Rovers, Paul Reynolds is 8–16 Goalkeeping Coach at Leicester City and Paul McHugh is U11 Academy Coach at Newcastle United. Simon Smith Goalkeeping has supplied goalkeepers to Sunderland F.C., Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City, York City and Carlisle United. In 2005, Simon Smith Goalkeeping joined forces with Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools to provide a specialist coaching programme and specialist staff for Bobby Charlton Soccer School Residential Courses.
Books and DVD’s
In 1997, Simon fulfilled a lifetime ambition by having his Goalkeeping Book published by the National Coaching Foundation - Goalkeeping for Soccer - Techniques, Skills and Practices. Foreword by Mervyn Day. Followed in 2002, by Simon’s first video/DVD – Keepers’ Classroom. In 2004, Simon produced a follow up DVD - A Degree of Goalkeeping. In 2004, Simon re-wrote his goalkeeping book – Goalkeeping for Soccer. Foreword by Sir Bobby Robson. In 2005 Simon published his second book – Goalkeeping Practices.
Consultancy
Simon Smith Goalkeeping has expanded overseas, working in Iceland, USA and Canada, providing coaching seminars and practical coaching sessions and working with young goalkeepers 8 -18. For the past two years, Simon has been a key note speaker and presenter at the British Columbia Soccer Association Coaching Conference in Vancouver. Simon has also teamed up with Frank Yallop, formerly of Ipswich Town and Canada. Frank, who was the Head Coach at the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS at the time (now San Jose) employed Simon as a goalkeeping consultant to work with goalkeepers Kevin Hartman and Steve Cronin. In 2007, Simon delivered two practical on field goalkeeping sessions at the Grass Roots Football Show in Coventry.
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