Defender Tommy Smith reflects on the season.
DK: So, first off, how do you reflect on the season overall?
TS: I'd describe it as perfect, really. I'm not really sure you can make it much better than it was. It certainly wasn't what we all expected, but at the end, that's what we deserved. So, unbelievable, really.
DK: Yeah. I don't think you get much better first seasons with a club than what you got.
TS: No, I'm not sure you do. Like I said, I was signing for this club and didn't expect to win the league, but I'm sure no-one really expects to win the league at Step 3. Anyone can win it every season, so I bet it's the best team that wins the league, and that was us this season. So, it's just deserved, I think.
DK: Yeah, you got plenty of assists this year as well, with some brilliant crosses.
TS: Yeah, I try and help the team out as much as I can. What I just needed was just that goal. I was trying to push for it at the end, but it wasn't to be.
But we've always got next season, don't we? So, I'm sure that will come at some point. But yeah, I thought I'd put some good crosses into the box this season, try and help the team as much as I can, from an attacking point of view. Yeah, I thought I'd done well in that aspect.
DK: Yeah, from when I was looking at the top scorer charts yesterday, just double-check that everything was right, you're the only player that has actually played more than a few games, and played a decent amount of minutes, that hasn't scored this season for us.
TS: Yeah, that sounds about right. I think I've had a few close chances, to be honest, but it just hasn't been this season. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm sure that will come. I had one cleared off the line at Barwell, but everyone turns into Prime Maldini apparently when I shoot.
DK: I think that's what you've been doing at the other end this season.
TS: I think we all have. Bar the last three games of the season, we were the best defensive team in the league. We should have earned that title, but obviously Leamington's last three games put them above that. From the games that mattered this season, we were the best team in the league, defensively.
DK: Yeah, to be honest, you can just neglect the last few games, because we were already Champions, I'd say we are the best defensive team in the league.
TS: Yeah, we definitely were. We were 100% the best team in the league. Obviously, the last three games didn't matter from a result point of view, but we still were trying to go out and win those games. It's always hard playing, knowing that you've won the league and you've done something really special already. It's hard to push yourself through those games and get results. We still gave it our all in the last few games, but the job was done for that. We earned the right to have those few games of a little bit lower quality.
DK: Yeah, you say lower quality. It was only that 1% of chances not being taken that was the difference from the rest of the season. Otherwise, I think we still played well.
TS: Yeah, I think we did. We didn't score in the last few games. We didn't keep any clean sheets. I thought both ends. We did lack a bit of quality. That's to be expected. We all still gave 100%. No one didn't give 100% in the last few games. It's just something that happens after you've accomplished something that naturally is going to affect the performances.
DK: What would you say is your favourite goal scored by a team-mate this season?
TS: Definitely Luke's. I would say Luke has two, to be honest. The one that strikes me first is Telford away. I thought that was technically one of the best goals of the season, definitely. Obviously, his one at Barwell as well was unbelievable. But I thought technically the one at Telford away, cutting in, hitting it top corner was the best I've seen all season, personally. We were speaking about goals, to be honest, over the weekend. That came up a few times.
DK: Do any other moments stand out to you?
TS: Obviously, the moments through the season.
Obviously, the bigger games. York. Both games really were great performances, I thought, from us. You've got the Peterborough home game after we took them 0-0 at their place. I thought underrated moments. Just the one nil aways at Halesowen and Leamington were really big games. I don't think we deserved to win them games, but you need to win them games to win a title, without being your best, and with the other team probably deserving more than a loss. So I think them games were really big moments for us.
DK: Yeah, like we spoke about, it's what champions do, isn't it?
TS: Exactly, exactly. Everyone says that, but until you experience it, that's until you know how big them moments are. When you come off that pitch 1-0 and you've not deserved to really win the game. There's no feeling better than that.
DK: You mentioned the incredible FA Cup run.
Obviously, you weren't here last year when we did make the first round, but it must have made it even more perfect to have came literally minutes away from doing that.
TS: Yeah, I suppose if you ask me what could have improved on this season, it was probably (not getting to) the first round of the FA Cup. But I still thought we gave York an unbelievable couple of games. I don't think we deserve to lose the second game at home. I'm not sure they had too many shots on our goal, to be honest with you. Luke could have scored near the end of the game as well. But it's just a big moment. It was just a great game and the experience was just what made it a great occasion.
DK: And we get to do 24 of them next year!
TS: Twenty-four, wow. Yeah, that sounds incredibly difficult, but it'll be fun.
DK: Have you been looking at the teams in our league next year?
TS: I looked briefly. Some of them I'd never even heard of before, so that just shows you how far away they are. But it'll be a good challenge. It'll be a really good challenge. I mean, we've played all these teams around us. Needham have been in this league for a few years now, so they've played all these teams with all the travelling, so it's good to experience something different.
DK: Has it sunk in yet, the achievements this year?
TS: I think it's definitely sinking in, yeah. It took a couple of weeks after we won it to actually realise what we've done. But it can't keep sinking in now. We've got to let it be known and think of the challenge for the next season. Because if we keep letting it sink in, then we're going to be coming straight back down the next season. We've got to really push for it and get our heads up. Push for it and give it a go next season, which I think we will.
DK: From memory, you've started and played almost every minute of the league, I think, so far this season, that must have made the success feel even better.
TS: Yeah, the only games I remember not featuring in was the Stamford game and then I came off, I think, just after half-time at the Mickleover game, after I rolled my ankle. That was the only half of football that I missed whilst being in starting XI.
I work hard on staying fit and being strong and healthy and all that, so it's just coming to show that I can play a lot of these games and I'm going to need that for next season.
DK: Can you pick a player of the season?
TS: Well, it was a really hard decision, what I did, to be honest with you, and I could have voted for everyone in the team because I don't think... I think if the announcement comes on Friday that whoever's won it, no-one will be shocked, no matter who it is. But I voted for Jamie, personally, because I saw, hearing from last season, how much he's grown as a player and coming from where he's come from, playing in a whole different position to what he's used to for probably half of the season and working his way and getting goals, really important goals. I just thought, personally, he's someone you can rely on. You give the ball to him, you know he's going to stick or you know you're going to get the ball back.
I just thought that was my player of the season, but I could have literally voted for anybody. I thought if anyone wins it, then it's completely deserved. I just thought with the position that he's been playing, that it's justified, really.
DK: Yeah, I think that's going to be a common theme this season, with literally you could have voted for anyone, including yourself, really.
TS: Yeah, like I said, I thought, literally, I mean, when you've won the league, everybody's important. You can't win a league with a couple of passengers. You know, everyone's important, which means anyone can win it.
DK: What emotions come to mind when reflecting on winning the league?
TS: Just, I mean, the emotions that came after the Royston game was relief. I still don't think anyone believed it until the final whistle went. So definitely relief. Just excitement and just the feeling of you've won something that you've got something to look back on in a few years' time, because no one remembers teams that come third or fourth in 10 years' time. But your whole life, you'll remember that you've won the league, you've won a Suffolk Cup. These boys have won multiple Suffolk Cups. I hope to get to that stage in my career as well. But just the knowing that when you look back on this in years to come, that you would have accomplished something.
DK: What was going through your mind when Jamie scored the goal that won it?
TS: Yeah, obviously I was excited and really happy that we scored that goal. But like I said, I don't think anyone believed it until the final whistle went. I thought we all still thought something could happen.
You know, Mickleover might get two late goals or whatever they needed. No one believed it until we saw the table after the final whistle. We started celebrating on the pitch. But obviously Jamie's goal killed the game. We didn't know that there and then. We didn't know the Mickleover score on the pitch. But, you know, that was incredible.
DK: Could you see what was going on, over on our bench?
TS: I think the boys on the bench obviously knew the scores. I didn't know the scores. I knew the score at half-time. But I didn't know what the score was at the end. And to be honest, I expected Mickleover to just win that game. That's what I was just thinking. So we need to win our game. But until, you know, as soon as they started sprinting on the pitch, then that's when I knew that it's over.
DK: Did you have had a feeling of bewilderment then, as everyone was running onto the pitch?
TS: Yeah, I did. That's when I sort of thought, well, they can't be doing that if we've not won it. So that's when I sort of was thinking that it's done now. And, you know, that we can relax and we can, you know, feel proud of ourselves.
DK: Did you feel like you had to check the table first before you actually believed it?
TS: No, I didn't. Because I was just relying on everyone else. You know, it was their mistake. If they got it wrong, not mine. I remember asking Tom at the end. I said, is it done? Is it done? I just didn't believe it. I just didn't, you know, the game, I didn't know if their game was finished yet. So I was just asking Tom, you know, is it over yet? Is it 100% done?
DK: It's one of those unrivalled kind of feelings in football, I guess, when you win the league.
TS: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. You just can't really put it into words until you've done it. And I had no idea. I've never been in a title race in my life. But the first one I've been in, I've won it. So, you know, not many people can say that.
DK: I guess this achievement surpasses making your first team debut at Ipswich.
TS: Yeah, of course. You know, as an achievement, it's a trophy. It's a massive accomplishment in my life. My debut for Ipswich, I'd definitely still keep up there as well. You know, that's one of my biggest moments in my career. You know, actually stepping onto a pitch as a professional footballer is something I'll never forget. But this is an achievement, of course. It's much bigger because it is an achievement, not just an appearance. And the Suffolk Cup just adds to it as well. So, you know, I'm glad.
DK: How are you going to approach next season?
TS: I'm not sure, to be honest with you. You know, I try and keep myself as fit and healthy as I can away from the ground. I'll obviously continue to do that.
So, I don't think I need to change too much, to be honest with you. I sort of do quite a lot away from and need them already. So, I'll just continue to do that, I think.
DK: You've spoken about it a little bit, but what are your aims and targets for next year?
TS: There's no point putting it in. There's no point aiming for something like staying in the league, I don't think. I think an aim's got to be something that is really difficult to achieve, that you're looking for.
And I think the aim then, you've got to stay top half or playoffs, to be honest with you, even how some people think that's unrealistic. But then there's no point for just staying top half, because then you'll be content with some draws here and there. So, I think you've got to try and push so you can see how far you can go. If it comes to the end of the season and we're down there, then the aim changes to staying in the league or whatever. But for now, it's top half, playoffs.
DK: Yeah, you've got to be competitive from the get-go.
TS: Yeah, of course you do, because then there's no point and you're not competing for anything, really. So, I think you've got to.
DK: How much did this season exceed your expectations?
TS: I played in this league before briefly for Lowestoft a few years back. And it's a lot more difficult at Step 3, of course. So, the players are better, tactics are better, coaching staffs are better.
You've got everything coming into one, really. You've got better players, better grounds, better facilities. So, everything's just a massive upgrade, really.
And I found that as soon as I touched Step 3. So, I thought I've handled it pretty well.
DK: It must make it even sweeter having won the double as a really close knit squad?
TS: If anybody was there on the weekend, you'd realise how much we all love each other. And that's not just on the pitch. That's off the pitch as well. Even though I've been there one year, I feel like the boys have really, really helped me and treated me like I've been there for a few years now. And it's been so easy to sit in and play with that group.
But I appreciate what they've done for me massively. Because sometimes you go into clubs and you go into teams and you don't feel like you're right to play there. Or you don't feel like this is the place for you to be. But I thought, as soon as I stepped in there, that's where I want to be.
DK: Yeah, I remember back in the summer you said that you settled in quite seamlessly, and I think that massively played an impact.
TS: Yeah, I think it does. I think if you feel better within the squad, you end up playing better. You end up feeling more confident. I don't see anybody who thinks it can keep you back or anything like that. So I think that's a massive bonus. The boys have been there ages. Keiran, Dan, Luke, Marco, Patch, Hammo, all of these players have been there a while now. The older ones in the group, they keep that. They set the standards. And it's for us young ones to abide by them and keep everything going well. I've found it incredible walking into the club. I've not had a problem with completely nothing.
And that's due to both Kev and Tom, but also to the senior players in the team.
DK: What defensive moments stand out to you that either it's you or a team-mate?
TS: Defensively, we haven't had ridiculous goal-line saves. Apart from the only one I can really think of is York away. But I think that just shows how little chance we actually concede as a back five. And as a team, to be fair. There's not many teams that come and make Marco save shots upon shots upon shots.
And the good thing is when they do come in to do occasional shots, you've got the best keeper in the league to stop it. So it's really hard to score a goal against something like that this season. We've got a pretty good versatile squad that can play quite a few positions. The core of it has stayed the same for the majority of the season, which is really important. And that allows us to drop a few in. Even though that was me, Jake, Hugh, Tev, any of them. Hamo, when he went to right-back. That's what I said earlier about senior players helping everyone out.
(Part two on 19.05.2024)
DK: The first award you won last night was Keith's Nunn Trophy, which normally goes to Keiran, so that's a big honour.
TS: Yeah. Yeah, I wasn't really aware of that award, to be honest with you, but it was nice to win it. So, yeah, just glad I won it in the end.
DK: It must have been a pleasant surprise for you to win that then?
TS: Yeah, it was, yeah. I was not expecting my name for that, to be honest with you.
DK: The other award you got was the Supporters Player of the Year, which is arguably the biggest honour.
TS: Exactly. It's nice to win that one. It's nice to win any award. But yeah, Supporters Award is really nice to win because it just shows that everyone feels that I've had a good season, which is nice. I think that was, there was a few people who were on quite high scores for that. So like I said earlier, literally anyone could have won it. No one would have really been that surprised, to be honest. Yeah. We haven't really spoke, to be honest, about the awards. We're all just, you know, just trying to enjoy our little break now. Well, we're back in, no, it's not that quick. It's back at the end of June, so it's actually still quite nice. Got a good month or so.
DK: Should be interesting though. Last pre-season, we were unbeaten.
TS: Yeah, we were, weren't we? Had a really good pre-season.
DK: Yeah, and you scored two goals in your first two games. Are you hoping for more this year?
TS: I'm hoping for one at least, yeah. One will be a great start, I reckon.
DK: But I reckon you'd trade that goal in pre-season for getting one in the National League North?
TS: Yeah, of course I would. Any goal in the National League will be brilliant.
DK: Who do you reckon will score our first goal in the new league?
TS: Ooh, I'm going to go with Lukey, I reckon.
DK: Do you find it ironic that one game that everyone tends to remember more is the first game of the season?
TS: That's the most memorable game of the season for me. Yeah, that wasn't a fun game.
DK: After that game, we were then losing to one of your former clubs, did you feel the nerves at all as time was ticking down?
TS: A little bit, but I always felt we were going to win the game. It was one of those games where I felt it was going to come, eventually. We did weather the storms.
DK: So we've spoken a bit about the teams we're playing next season. Other than the ones we've mentioned, who else stands out to you?
TS: So you've obviously got the big teams like Scunthorpe, Kidderminster, Darlington. So I'd say really them ones are the ones I'm looking forward to playing the most. I don't really know too much about any of the other teams, but they're some of the few that excite me to go there and play. A few teams in this league have played Football League, so it's just good experience in that. We'll be playing ex-professionals, so it should be good.
DK: Especially as you are one yourself.
TS: Yeah, very briefly, but yes, indeed. Yeah, it's good to experience that, to be honest with you. But I'm here now, so this is the job I'm doing. In the team, Marcus is one of the best people I've ever met, to be honest. He doesn't like being in the limelight. He likes giving that to everyone else. Especially on the pitch. But that's just the type of character he is. He likes speaking everyone up. But he knows how good he is and we all know how good he is.
DK: Were any of the awards on Friday a surprise to you?
TS: I thought there was a lot of really good goals this season. Ingers had a couple, Tev had a couple.
Hamo's obviously, against Hashtag, was unreal. So, like, you know, like with the other awards, I thought anyone could have won that one, really, or any of them three really could have won that one. So, that wasn't really a surprise because I thought there was a few goals that could have won it. It looked unreal.
Obviously, from my side of the pitch, you can't tell if it's on target or not until the net bulges. So, I didn't know how good of a strike it was, you know, until it hit the back of the net. But, yeah, it was unreal, and especially the importance of that goal.
It was brilliant.
DK: I think that kind of set us on the way, really, because that was at a point where we were just starting to chug win after win after win.
TS: Yeah, I mean, it was very similar games to that 1-0 hashtag. You know, we've had really, really similar 1-0 games away at clubs that we've got over the line. And I thought that sort of kicked us on that game to sort of dig out results. I don't think we were great that day, but we didn't really need to be anything special. But I thought the whole game was really good.
DK: It epitomised us, really.
TS: Yeah, we were doing that all season. From the first few games in, we were a little bit sloppy. But after that, it just came like a normal thing, keeping clean sheets and scraping results. But that was a team effort. Definitely.
DK: When you've hit the bar, are you actually shooting or is it a cross that's just curled too much?
TS: Great question. Now I'm gonna say I was shooting but I think people know the answer. Don't think someone needs to really go into much detail but I was shooting, yes. In the edge of the box aiming for that top corner.
DK: Away to Long Eaton, within like a few minutes, you hit the bar with a cross-shot.
TS: I think it took a slight deflection and hit the bar but yeah once again I was shooting. I think I like positioning myself quite, you know, on an angle or quite tight angle for crosses because it allows me to get around the ball a lot more because naturally if you kick the ball with your left foot it always curls anyway so the wider you can get onto it the more pace you can get on it and I think that's worked out quite nicely this season.
DK: What point in the season do you reckon you'll have an idea of how the season will pan out?
TS: I'm not sure really. Probably until you get halfway through the season. That's when you can start analysing where your target is really. It's hard to judge for the first few weeks. As you saw this season, we had a rough couple of weeks to start it and then we won the league. You probably can't judge it until at least halfway through.
DK: Apparently Ingers knew at Christmas and he wanted the end of season night booked.
TS: Yeah, he's very confident. I'm not sure he 100% believed it himself but he did keep on saying he was confident. You've got to be, haven't you? Even if you deep down say nothing. Yeah, we were trying not to get too carried away at any point in the season. Because we knew that anything can change very quickly. So we just kept our head down and took it game by game.
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