A Football365 love letter to… Alan ‘Smudge’ Smith

A Love Letter To…one of football media’s polite gentlemen who goes about his business quietly. That’ll be Alan Smith, then.
Why the love?
A fondly remembered two-club man at both Leicester City and Arsenal who, despite winning the Golden Boot twice, was still a rather underrated striker. He could certainly be relied upon to score a goal every couple of games. He was the north London club’s top scorer for four consecutive seasons and helped them to one of their most legendary title wins in 1989. While Michael Thomas claimed the “it’s up for grabs now” glory, it is less often remembered that it was only “up for grabs now” because Smudger had scored the first goal.
Indeed, that is a very Smudger position to be in: never quite in the limelight, but being rather good and effective nonetheless. I find those sorts of people very endearing. Happy to cede the spotlight to others, without ego or complaint, but keeping on being better than most. It’s easy to love the player who scores the winning goal and forget that there’s often someone quieter and less prominent but who is hugely significant.
However, Alan did taste European glory in 1994, scoring this superb winning goal in the European Cup Winners’ Cup (a brilliant competition that really should be revived) against Parma. Given Arsenal’s European failures since, this should give all Gooners a warm glow of nostalgia.
But again, how like our boy Smithy to hit the only goal in what was often regarded as the third of the three European finals. Top notch but still not quite the highest profile.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that he gave up his leading striker role at the club when they signed Ian Wright and his goals tally suffered as a result. But he got on with the job nonetheless, until his retirement in 1995.
And this form has seemingly extended into his punditry career. Now the regular co-comm to Martin Tyler, having taken over from more alpha men who were never happier than when self-aggrandising their own talent. At last there was an adult in the room and though he would be the last to brag about it, the industry clearly regards him very highly. EA Sports got him on board for the FIFA games in 2012 and he’s done every version since. This means there is a whole generation of kids who are just turning 18 that have grown up with him as an almost constant presence in their lives.
When you think about some of the Arsenal players he played alongside, such as Tony Adams, Ray Parlour and Paul Merson, it can’t have been an easy dressing room for a more cerebral, sensitive fella to inhabit – though he talks about it very fondly now. I like to imagine he developed some of the diplomatic skills he now shows in his punditry work (he’s never one to be beastly about a player and give him a kicking) in that dressing room, whilst extracting himself from an especially destructive drinking session, or some sort of banterous situation involving dog poo and a shoe, or a tie and a pair of scissors, without making himself look like a bad sport or a big wuss. To survive in that environment, you’d really have to have some quiet steel to your character or it’d chew you up and spit you out.
I’ve noticed in researching this that he occasionally attracts some rudeness and invective along the lines of being dull or boring. That’s unfair and I feel it is only the sort of thing people who think noisy beats quiet, that shouting beats talking, and that saying anything is preferable to only saying something when you’ve got something to say.
Superhero skills
For the sometimes brash world of football media, Alan always comes across as a rather gentle and modest soul. Originally – and perhaps ironically – born in Hollywood, his is a really interesting Midlands voice with the bluesy minor key melancholy innate to the Brummie, but it’s moderated with a bit of a soft, sing-songy inflection. There are no harsh edges to it at all and as a result, it is makes your ears feel nice in the same way thermal-auricular therapy does.
Along with this, he has a very calm disposition and never really gets especially over-excited. This is a great counterbalance to Martin Tyler’s roaring. In an era of life where over-reaction is valued more highly than appropriate reaction, this is a really enjoyable aspect to him and was reflected in his playing career as a man who was only booked once. Given the era he played in, that is quite remarkable really and speaks well of his character. It’s that placid nature which continues to dominate his work at a co-comm and pundit.
An intelligent chap, at school he got three A Levels and ten O Levels and played non-league football whilst studying for a degree in Modern Languages at Coventry Polytechnic before getting signed up by Leicester City. Since retiring he wrote columns for the Telegraph for 20 years. Twenty!
When doing co-comms, you always feel he’s trying to not say something that is overly cliched. Adam Hurrey (Football Cliches) says, in a lovely turn of phrase, that he is the “leading exponent of the art of elegant variation”. In other words, rather than repeat the name of the team, he might use the nickname, then the region they come from. So that Newcastle United are “the Magpies”, then the “northeast men”, or “the black and whites”. That is more of a journalist’s talent in truth, and it suggests he’s paid attention to his art form and worked out how to avoid repetition. It also suggests he’s a man who knows this art form is actually all about words and how you use them and that words are the tools of your trade over and above anything else.
Style guru?
With a big, hawk-like beak and long limbs, Alan was a gangling, tall, rather gawky young man but as so often happens with such people, as he’s thickened up a little and grown into middle-age he looks like he really fits his own skin these days. Even his silver hair really suits him. There are definitely people who suit middle age more than they did youth and Smudger is one of those.
For someone whose character is based around modesty and decency, the wearing of garish or unnecessarily fashionable clothes which might attract attention would be anathema, so rightly, there are no fashion notes this week.
What The People Say
He’s not a populist nor a controversionalist and Alan’s qualities are not for everyone, so this wasn’t one of the biggest post bags I’ve ever had. As I mentioned previously, some mistake thoughtfulness or understatement as lack of character or passion. Also, he’s been retired for an incredible 22 years now so many of his audience only know him as a pundit and not as a player.
To me, although he’s well-established at Sky, I feel Alan could find a more sympathetic audience on radio where the ability to think and express oneself at length has far more room.
‘Perhaps underrated and taken for granted as a pundit (and player?). He is a highly intelligent bloke who has some strongly held and carefully thought out opinions. He is also very likeable, funny and comfortable around people who have never been paid to play football. Top man’ – Steve Wilson, MOTD commentator.
‘Smudge is an absolute gent. Hope this helps’ – Max Rushden.
‘Football broadcasting’s leading exponent of the art of elegant variation, the big Worcestershireman’ – Adam Hurrey.
‘When thinking about this feature not a lot immediately jumps out, contrary to annoying traits of other co-comms. So this is actually his skill and I always feel his commentary is intelligent, cultured and measured, much like he was as a footballer.’
‘I expect Alan’s the type of guy you’d expect to find facing you when the grill opens at the confessional box. Good listener, gentle, sympathetic but not afraid to deal out the penance if he thinks you deserve it…’
‘That under-assuming Leicester accent. That goal against Parma. And as befits a guy that has played with the likes of Merson and Wright, very comfortable in playing the straight man to Rob/Alan/Clive….’
‘He’s incredibly calming. Whether he’s being scathing, sarcastic or ecstatic, it all comes across in the same sort of tone. But regardless of that, you completely understand the emotion that he’s feeling. That’s pretty unique.’
‘Scored one of the goals that broke 7-year-old me’s heart in 1989. But as a pundit I like him. Steady, measured and doesn’t resort to the hyperbole that others do.’
‘Totally unfairly I couldn’t stand him as a player as he was the man who came on as sub for my hero Lineker in Euro 92 but as a pundit he has totally turned me round! Articulate and clearly very intelligent, passionate and comes across as a genuinely nice man. One of the best.’
‘As a Spurs fan, I think he’s scrupulously fair when covering our games, despite his Arsenal connections. He doesn’t have an easy-on-the-ear accent but that’s not his fault. Comes across as genuine and likable bloke.’
‘Checked the dictionary, ‘lugubrious’ has his picture next to it. Such a low, silky hum of a delivery, his voice containing a wealth of knowledge still relevant so long after retiring.’
‘A thoughtful, cerebral underrated footballer who is now a thoughtful, cerebral underrated commentator.’
‘Love him. Although that goal in Copenhagen might influence my view somewhat.’
‘Always thought he’s a great summariser and this from a Liverpool fan!’
‘He has the demeanour of someone who has written for a broadsheet newspaper, compared to some of his more shouty peers who have written for tabloids.’
‘Brummie velvet…like an aural deep shag carpet. Love the man. Can you check if he’s free to tell my baby daughter stories to send her to a lovely peaceful sleep?’
‘Used to really dislike him but now really like him. Every time he speaks there’s a chance it might be witty. Takes it seriously enough but with a bit of fun.’
‘So unbiased towards arsenal you sometimes wonder if he even likes the club.’
‘An elegant pundit and gentleman. Always willing to offer his opinion without stealing the limelight.’
‘Someone needs to humour Martin Tyler. That man is Alan Smith.’
‘The best thing you can say about Alan Smith is that you don’t notice him. At a time when there are some shocking co-comms around he plugs away consistently and nobody complains about him because he is decent.’
‘Whenever I hear his commentary it feels friendly. There’s no desire to get himself over, no dramatic remark to get himself noticed, just a genuine love for the game. That soft brummie twang helps no end.’
‘He’s brilliant and he’s also a lovely guy.’
Future days
Alan doesn’t seem the sort of chap who might jump from ship to ship. I suspect he likes to be solid and steady and thus will stay at Sky in his current role for as long as possible. That being said, I think he could be more ambitious. Intelligence is a highly desired and tradable commodity in modern football media, in a way that it never used to be. He’s written his autobiography ‘Heads Up’, and it is due to be published in August. I bet it’ll be really interesting. His is career which reminds us that you don’t have to sacrifice being a good guy to get ahead. Long may this be the case.
John Nicholson