Sometimes, waiting for an interview in Give 'Em Beans! is a bit like waiting for a bus. There's nothing for ages then two arrive together. Following up the Mike Walsh interview in issue 028, we tracked down Peter Smith for our very next edition. Peter had recently been transferred to Accrington Stanley for £5,000, after a spell of almost exactly twelve months with Barrow, having joined the club from Great Harwood for a fee of £3,500...
PETER SMITH Barrow's brave and deadly striker in 1995-96
We'd like to take you through your career at Barrow, if we may. Before you joined in September 1995 you were rumoured to have been one of Tony Hesketh's wanted men for some time. Were you aware of this speculation? Yes, Tony Hesketh tried to sign me when he was manager of Netherfield. Finally, you agreed to join Barrow. You made a dream start, scoring five goals in your first two games [two at Matlock in September 1995 and another three against Chorley three days later]. Then the goals stopped and in the 22 games you played from the end of September to Gainsborough the following February you scored only five more times. Why was this? I had a great start when I scored five times in my first two games for Barrow. The problem at the time was that I was cup-tied. I couldn't play in any of Barrow's FA Cup games [six qualifying round games and one game in each of the first two rounds]. So I was missing a lot of games with all the replays and Barrow having such a great cup run. Then Tony Hesketh brought in Andy Green [January 1996]. After that I played on the right hand side of midfield. I ended up with twelve goals last season. The top goalscorers, Neil Morton and Mark Dobie, only had fifteen goals each, so I didn't do too badly. I feel I would have scored a lot more goals if I'd been played down the middle. Your first striking partner at Barrow was Mark Dobie. What was it like playing alongside him? Mark Dobie was a good player, but we only had a couple of games together up front. The rest of the time we were in midfield. This was also the period in which Billy Kenny had his ill-fated spell at the club. Was there a great deal of dressing room dissent after he arrived? Yes. He wasn't a very likeable lad. Mark Dobie left in January 1996 and with him went the team's goal scoring touch. The last thirteen league games that year brought only eight goals, despite Andy Green being brought in to link up with Neil Morton again. What was the feeling amongst the players? Morale was very low in the dressing room at this point in time. Your injury in the Gainsborough game on in February was remarkable, for the fact that you continued to play on even though you'd punctured your lung. When did you realise how seriously you'd been injured? After the clash with the 'keeper, I got up and I thought I'd been badly winded. After five minutes I started to get pains across my chest and still couldn't get my breath properly. After about twenty minutes I crossed the ball, got up off the ground and my whole body just locked up in pain and I couldn't breathe. I just collapsed. I thought I was having a heart attack! I was conscious all the time. Tony Hesketh left Barrow the following week. As he'd brought you to Holker St did you have any misgivings about staying if he was no longer the manager? No, I met a lot of Barrow people and the fans were really good to me. Mike Walsh brought in a sterner fitness regime and rekindled the players confidence. Only one game was lost out of the final seven of last season. You'd missed eight games because of your injury and you came back for the final four, two of those as substitute. How did you feel to be able to start playing again? It was a great relief, and great to be back playing for the club. This season you were playing wide of the central striker, coming through from midfield. How have you felt about playing in this position? I wasn't happy at all playing in that position. Mike Walsh had no left sided midfield player, so he put me there. I felt really uncomfortable playing in that position. I asked if I could play on the right hand side as he already had his forwards [Morton and Green], but Mike asked me to stay where I was as I was doing a job for him. After the Marine game at Holker St. Mike said that Accrington Stanley had made a good offer for me and that he was after some natural left footed players. So I really had no option about the move. I don't think I was part of his plans. Who are your favourites to win the UniBond this season? Barrow or Blyth Spartans. Is it true that the players don't like playing at Holker St. because of the sheer weight of the fans' expectations ? No. Players get a big buzz from the large crowds. The fans support us very well and they let us know when things aren't going right. How would you sum up your time at Barrow? I had a great time at Barrow. They are a very ambitious club and a very good one to play for. I wish I could have played more games up front because I know I would have scored more goals. I wish the Barrow club, the supporters and players all the very best for the season and hope they get promotion. Which they deserve. And so say all of us. Thanks very much, Peter. And good luck with your own career. Given Barrow's goal scoring form (no goals in five league games) at the time of this interview, what would Owen Brown have given to have had a proven goalscorer like Peter Smith in the squad? Issue 029 - January 1997