Graham Smith was a local man who had led Tamworth to become FA Vase winners in 1989.

After Mervyn Rowe stepped down at the start of the 1993-94 season, Smith (along with his assistant Benny Brown, also from his Tamworth days) took over after a two-game Caretaker Manager from Rowe’s assistant John Newell.

Smith’s first game in charge was an FA Cup tie at home to Barwell, with the somewhat uniqueness of Reserve Team manager Les Tonks returning to the starting line-up – and also notching the first goal in a 2-1 Scholars win.

The FA Cup defeat to Solihull Borough in his sixth game in charge was Smith’s only blip in his first 16 games at the helm – including seven wins out of eight in a ten match unbeaten start to the West Midlands League campaign.

That 36-game unbeaten run came to a 5-0 end at Stourport Swifts in November, quickly followed by two more league defeats and an FA Vase exit en
route to the Scholars finishing ninth.

Smith led us in the inaugural campaign of the newly-formed Midland Football Alliance. But in mid-December when Smith stood down due to work commitments.

We extend our thoughts and sympathies to all his friends and family.