Dave Smith always seemed to have mostly success. In 1969 he was the coach at Newcastle when they won the Fairs Cup. Then he went on to be the assistant coach to Don Howe at Arsenal in 1971 when they won the League and the FA Cup doing the double. In 1974 he got his first Managers job. He took over struggling Mansfield. They had just avoided re-election from the 4th Division. But incredibly, he took them to the 4th Division title with very little money, winning by six points the very next season(Remember, two points for a win in those days). without losing a home game. He always spoke about making your home ground a fortress. He did it at Southend. Luckily for Southend, he fell out with the Directors at Mansfield when he asked them for money to be able to push on with the club, and was refused, so he resigned. So he came to us in 1976, and the rest is history. Some of the very best times being a Southend supporter.
A side story, from John Gibson.
Three of my colleagues at the Fairs Club - Bill Gibbs, Derek Richardson and Brian Wilkinson - had traced Dave to Skipton where he now lives having continued to reside in the Plymouth area for so many years after retirement. Thus armed they travelled down to present him with a specially made black and white inscribed cap to commemorate that epic 1969 victory, the last time Newcastle won a major trophy. While we had all received one, Dave had been on the 'missing' list.
We talked long and enthusiastically of the many happy memories we shared travelling the continent that memorable season and my trip to Plymouth where Smith was king.
"Aye Gibbo they were great times," he said his smile radiating down the line. "No one can take them away. It's been a terrific life. Football has been good to many of us."
I reminded Dave of one episode in particular which he recalled vividly. We had just played Real Zaragoza on New Year's Day - yeah, some timing for an away game in deepest Spain - when I received a tip off in my hotel room that something interesting was happening in the foyer so off I raced downstairs. There I found two burly pistol-packing Spanish cops in agitated conversation with Dave Smith and United's winger Jim Scott. Eventually the club interpreter was called and passports carefully examined.
It turned out that the police were looking for two Englishmen called Smith and Scott who
had absconded from custody and they were convinced United's pair were the guilty men. "I wouldn't care but two canny Scots being taken for Englishmen really hurt," moaned Dave.
Dave was the Manager of the first SUFC I ever saw back in 77/78 season IIRC. 
.
