Kevin Smart - Player Profile

Kevin Graham Smart was born on the 17 October 1958 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but his footballing roots were developed in the far South West as he came through the youth ranks at Plymouth Argyle playing 9 matches, aged 18, for the club in the Second Division in the latter part of the 1976-77 season. He made his first team debut on the 12^th March at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town in a 1-1 draw. Plymouth were relegated that season and Kevin was a regular starter during the first part of their 1977-78 campaign. However, in the second half of the season he was unable to command a first choice place with "The Pilgrims" and at its end of that season he was made available for a free transfer. During the summer of 1978 he signed with Football League newcomers Wigan Athletic. During the historic 1978-79 season he played in 40 of the 46 league matches and made his debut for the Latics on the 17^th August 1978 at Elm Park against Reading. He scored his only league goal on the 17^th  March 1979, the second in a 2–0 win over Stockport County. He appeared in only nine matches for "The Latics" during the following 1979-80 season and was released at the end of that campaign. From 1980 Smart played for a succession of  Kent non-league clubs, initially mostly playing in the Southern League. During the summer of 1980 Smart signed with Folkestone Town for whom he played for the following eight seasons, during which he became team captain. Folkestone achieved promotion to the Southern League Premier Division following the 1982-83 season and twice won the Kent Senior Cup, in 1983 and 1985. In July 1988 Smart moved to Hythe Town of the Kent League who topped the Division One table in that season and gained promotion to the Southern League. During the 1990 close season Smart signed with Ashford Town and in November 1990 he suffered the misfortune of breaking a leg. He recovered and in February 1991 he joined Margate. He left them shortly after the start of the 1991–92 season to return to Hythe Town (for a role primarily as joint reserve team manager). Kevin then had a short spell between March and April 1992 with Kent League Division Two club Folkestone Invicta before finishing the season with Southern League strugglers Canterbury City. He remained with "City", who had joined the Kent League, until January 1994, after which Smart spent two spells at each of three Kent League clubs: Hythe United (from January 1994 and November 1995); Canterbury City (from April 1994^] – scoring a hat-trick for them on 20 August 1994 in a 5–2 victory at Darenth Heathside – and August 1996); and Deal Town (from December 1995 and January 1997). Smart remained with the Deal Town club until 2000 and was the joint manager of their reserve team who were the 1998–99 season Kent League Division One champions.

Kevin was a qualified bricklayer and worked in the Dover area.