Tooting boss revels in cup glory

By Steve Marshall

Smith has led Tooting & Mitcham into round one for the first time since 1977

Tooting & Mitcham manager Billy Smith is revelling in bringing the FA Cup glory days back to the club.

And if anyone knows just what success in the competition means to the non-league minnows it is their 66-year-old boss.

As a hard-tackling centre half, Smith was a cornerstone of the Tooting & Mitcham side that reached the first round for four successive seasons in the mid-1970s, including a run to the fourth round in 1975-76.

But, more than that, he remains the last man to score for the club in the 'proper' rounds of the cup - a 30-yard blockbuster in a 2-1 first round defeat by Northampton Town in November 1977.

Thirty two years on he has become the first manager since that tie to lead them to the same stage of the competition, four qualifying round victories earning a visit to Stockport.

And Smith admits the prospect of his Ryman League Premier Division outfit taking on League One opposition has sent his mind spinning back to that goal against Northampton, a famous third round win over Swindon and ties with Crystal Palace and Bradford City.

"We had quite a pedigree back in those days and we were quite successful," Smith told BBC Sport.

"I certainly remember that goal. We had a corner, which I only started going up for at the last minute.

It would be like winning the pools if we could beat Stockport

Tooting & Mitcham manager Billy Smith

"Their goalie punched it out quite a long way, but I just caught it right and it flew into the back of the net.

"I got a few goals as a defender, but I enjoyed that one.

"What has happened this year is fantastic, it's like a dream and it's brought the memories flooding back.

"The newspaper cut-outs have come back out and a lot of the old faces have come out as well.

"There were a few when we played Eastbourne in the fourth qualifying round who I haven't seen for years.

"But, for me, it would be like winning the pools if we could beat Stockport, or even take them back to our place."

Such realism sums up the size of the task facing Tooting at Edgeley Park.

But the club are on the up under Smith, whose managerial career has also featured spells at Crawley Town, Corinthian Casuals, Dulwich Hamlet and Kingstonian.

Tooting & Mitcham's FA Cup run

4QR replay - Eastbourne 3-4 Tooting (AET)

4QR - Tooting 3-3 Eastbourne

3QR - Tooting 3-2 Slough

2QR - Canvey I 0-2 Tooting

1QR - Tooting 4-2 Horsham

As well as this year's cup exploits, he guided them to promotion out of Ryman League Division One (South) for the first time in 19 years and followed that up last season with a ninth-placed finish in the Ryman Premier League.

They are currently fifth this season, well off the pace being set by leaders Dartford, but in the thick of the hunt for the play-off places.

And even though they bowed out of the FA Trophy last weekend with a 4-1 defeat at Chippenham Town, Smith believes that was very much down to cup fever.

"We came unstuck in the Trophy but the lads' minds weren't on it," said Smith. "All the talk was about this week.

"We talked about treating every game the same but I remember when we drew Crystal Palace all those years ago that I was wary about not getting injured because I didn't want to miss it.

"Saturday was a bad day at the office and hopefully this weekend we'll do better."

They have certainly done better in the FA Cup so far this season, knocking out Horsham, Canvey Island and Slough before winning a fourth qualifying round replay 4-3 at Blue Square Premier side Eastbourne Borough after drawing the initial tie 3-3.

Ablett was part of the Liverpool side that lost to Wimbledon in 1988

And although Stockport boast a two-times FA Cup winner in manager Gary Ablett - the first man to win the trophy with both Liverpool and Everton - home advantage and a much superior league placing in the football pyramid, Smith is not giving up hope of a shock.

"Gary Ablett was a good footballer but it will take him a while to learn how to be a manager," added Smith.

"It's not easy being a manager and he's not having a good run, like Eastbourne who we beat in the last round.

"Confidence is low when it gets like that and we might be lucky and catch them on a bad day.

"They are four divisions higher, but we have got some decent players.

"What I would say is that our form away from home is better than it has been at home, so you never know."