News: I Bought Players Socks And Washing Powder Then Club Hung Me Out To Dry

[TheDarkBlues]

Barry Smith 
has never been one to air his dirty linen in public.

But, for the first time since he was brutally axed by Dundee in February 2013, he admits that his 
controversial Dens Park exit still hurts.

After all, he had guided the Dark Blues through a turbulent post-administration period and miraculously kept them in the Championship despite a huge 25-point deduction.

The following season, having assembled a side to get them out of the second tier, Dundee were given a free pass into 
the top flight at the expense of liquidated Rangers.

But, with a squad not ready for the Premiership, poor results saw them at the foot of the table and Smith was bulleted, with John Brown replacing him.

For a guy who was still playing for Brechin and coaching kids at Dens before he was thrust into the job it was a crash course in 
management.

At one stage, Smith revealed, he even had to buy socks and washing 
powder for the first team out 
of his own pocket, with the club 
struggling to stay afloat.

Now the 40-year-old is steadily rebuilding his reputation at Alloa, who continue to defy their part-time status.

On Wednesday he’ll try to lead the Wasps into the Petrofac Cup Final by beating Rangers, having already earned two draws against the Ibrox men this term.

Smith might not know exactly what Ally McCoist has been through amid the financial 
carnage that has engulfed Ibrox for almost three years.

But he’s well aware of what it’s like to try and keep a team focused on the pitch when all hell is breaking loose off it.

Smith said: “There wasn’t much I 
didn’t see during my time at 
Dundee and, without a doubt, I’m a better 
manager for it.

“It was a steep learning curve because I was thrown in at the deep end. I had to work through a lot of difficult things.

“I was just a youth coach when they went into administration but Gordon Chisholm and Billy Dodds, who had been in charge, told me to take the job if I was offered it.

“My plan was always to become a manager – but it 
happened so quickly. Managing Dundee was always what I wanted to do because of the affection I have for that club.

“But circumstances made it happen quicker than I expected and that effectively ended my playing career. Would I change it? Definitely not. Every single bit of it was an experience.

“I once went out to buy socks and washing powder for the team, which isn’t something you expect to do as a manager.

“But I felt the players needed white socks and the club couldn’t afford them. I did it because I wanted the players to be happy and looked after.

“So the kitman and I spent our own money on them. I’m sure anyone else in our situation would have done the same. People who know me 
know that I don’t blow my own trumpet – that’s just not me.

“But maybe I should have done more of it because it seems to get you acknowledgement.

“I probably did a lot of things at Dundee that people didn’t realise but I wasn’t looking for a pat on the back from anyone.”

Smith now enjoys a terrific relationship with Alloa supremo Mike Mulraney and likes the honesty and transparency of the Recreation Park chairman, which is something he didn’t always have at Dens Park.

He said: “It was difficult to leave Dundee after so long, especially in those circumstances but I don’t think I was helped by certain people at the club. The coaching and playing staff were great but people outwith that could have helped more.

“I learned from it and there’s no grey areas with the chairman here. He’s been great and I’ve become more open at Alloa with the board of directors. There’s a lot of trust here and if there’s a 
problem he’ll come and tell me.

“I walked away from Dundee with my head held high. For a few weeks after it I hated 
football – but then you realise what you did for the club.”

Smith respects the job McCoist has done at Rangers – but it won’t stop him trying to heap more misery on the Ibrox gaffer 
on Wednesday night.

But despite going through the pain of administration with Dee, he believes it’s impossible to make comparisons between the situation at Dens and what McCoist has put up with.

He said: “Rangers’ situation is totally different to Dundee – we had nothing. After admin, we had to build and I was able to focus on the football.

“The players we had left felt fortunate because team-mates and staff had lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

“They felt a duty to do a job on the park and give a thank you to the people who had to leave.”

[islaydarkblue]

I have always felt that the Dundee FC Board of Directors and Chief Executive Scot Gardiner "did the dirty" on Barry Smith especially as John "Bomber" Brown was even worse as our manager.

[Ludo*1]

islaydarkblue, on 30 Nov 2014 - 3:08 PM, said:

I have always felt that the Dundee FC Board of Directors and Chief Executive Scot Gardiner "did the dirty" on Barry Smith especially as John "Bomber" Brown was even worse as our manager.

They clearly did. The whole situation was a travesty. There was certainly grounds for removing Smith, but the manner it was done was cowardly, cheap and the way we usually treat someone called Jocky.

[chomp my root]

I have always felt that the Dundee FC Board of Directors and Chief Executive Scot Gardiner "did the dirty" on Barry Smith especially as John "Bomber" Brown was even worse as our manager.

They clearly did. The whole situation was a travesty. There was certainly grounds for removing Smith, but the manner it was done was cowardly, cheap and the way we usually treat someone called Jocky.

There were guys with better CV's than Brown who were interested in the job, who ever was appointed was probably not going to please everybody but they were overlooked for the 'toast of Clyde' because of his err, friendship with a member of our backroom staff. The whole thing was shoddy and I believe we didn't even make much money out of our bonus year in the top flight.

[Densparker]

Time to move on and with PH we are on our way.

[Abdul Latif]

I have always felt that the Dundee FC Board of Directors and Chief Executive Scot Gardiner "did the dirty" on Barry Smith especially as John "Bomber" Brown was even worse as our manager.

I'm far from a fan of jakey Broon, but they were in all honestly both out of their depth.

[bainssleeve]

Tend to agree Abdul..

But John Brown should of been nowhere near our football club

[Misty]

Thank f*ck sanity pevailed and he was punted.

Only Coco was worse than Brown imo .. Just !

[Spiritof62]

Smiths severance was a mess made by people who were unfit to be in power at our Football Club.

I wanted Barrie to go but in a professional and dignified manner.

This shambles was further compounded by an even bigger shambles made by the same Administrators when they hired Bomber.

Thankfully, they are no longer anywhere near our club.