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Josh Smith, development squad goalkeeper - fool, clown or hero?



AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
Oct 14, 2003
11,589
Chandler, AZ
Josh Smith is one of our development squad goalkeepers (he joined us in March 2014 from Leicester where he was coming to the end of his scholarship). This season, he joined Merstham FC on loan back in November, and has been there ever since. I knew he was booked in his second game with them and received a red card in his third against Enfield; Enfield's match report described it thus "Smith raced off his line and flattened Whitely in the penalty area with a dangerous challenge. It was an obvious red card, and thankfully Whitely recovered after treatment."

I just looked at Merstham's site to catch up with his exploits, and saw this from the match report against East Thurrock on February 6:-

In the sixth minute Higgins burst through the Merstham defence and was adjudged to have been brought down inside the box by Isaac Nehemie much to the disgust of the Merstham players. As Higgins was setting up for the penalty Smith rushed off his line and flapped his arms in the face of the Rocks’ striker in an act of one-upmanship and was shown a yellow by referee Anthony Pope for his efforts. Whether or not this rattled Higgins only he will know but the usually reliable penalty taker sliced his shot wide.

The East Thurrock website started their match report like this:-

MERSTHAM’S loanee goalkeeper Josh Smith played the fool, looked a clown and ended Saturday’s Ryman Premier clash as his side’s hero with a matchwinning display.

In total, Smith has received one red card and three yellows in his time at Merstham. Last season, when playing for the Albion U-21s against Reading, he picked up a yellow card and then a straight red just moments later, as the Argus explained:-

Smith ran half the length of the pitch to protest to referee Lloyd Wood about a handball leading up to the corner from which substitute Harry Cardwell nodded Reading into an 87th-minute lead.

Smith was subsequently given a straight red card for bringing sub Tarique Fosu down inside the box.

[Simon] Ireland said of Smith: "The officials are there to try to do the best job they can. They will make mistakes, players make mistakes. You cannot come charging out ranting and raving at the ref, because the laws of the game say it is going to cost you.

It's development football, he's got to learn from that. What you don't want to do then when you are chasing the game anyway is to be chasing the game with ten men late on."

I presume Merstham have, overall, been happy with Smith (because they have extended his initial one-month loan). He clearly has talent, but I wonder how the Albion view his antics and apparent hot-headedness? I think his contract is up at the end of the season, so I guess we will find out then.
 




atomised

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2013
5,107
Sounds like he has a few rough edges but clearly a member of the goalkeepers union youth division
 
















Pinkie Brown

I'll look after the skirt
Sep 5, 2007
3,532
Neues Zeitalter DDR
Josh Smith? Sounds like the name of a chavy yob. Stone him........

Merstham? Is there anything actually there? I've been through a trillion times on the train but never had reason to go there. Am I missing anything? Its essential I know....
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,323
Uffern
Merstham? Is there anything actually there? I've been through a trillion times on the train but never had reason to go there. Am I missing anything? Its essential I know....

I know someone who lives there, he speaks highly of the place. Mind you, he comes from Chichester, so everywhere is going to be a step up :)
 






Surrey_Albion

New member
Jan 17, 2011
2,867
Horley
I know someone who lives there, he speaks highly of the place. Mind you, he comes from Chichester, so everywhere is going to be a step up :)
Merstham is very small ,south Merstham is okay but was much better many years ago and very much a village, portland drive area however is a s*** hole and haven for the great unwashed, the pub iron horse(now flattened ) was known as a Millwall pub (even though not in london) and the things that went on in there were truly shocking!
Any given day you get drugs (broad daylight) from portland drive by midday it is awash with Jeremy Kyle rejects! How anyone can speak highly of Merstham amazes me!
 












Tim Over Whelmed

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 24, 2007
10,165
Arundel



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