Lester Smith

DOB: 1st January 1945

Position: Defender

Season of first appearance: 1965/66

Season of last appearance: 1967/68

Full Appearances: 13

Substitute: 0

Goals: 0

Also played for:

Brett Sports, Herne Bay, Sittingbourne, Ramsgate.

Player Profile:

Local product of King Ethelbert School, Birchington, who played for East Kent Boys as a youngster and went on to spend many seasons in Margate's reserve team, first appearing for them during the 1961/62 campaign. Lester then made 52 further reserve team appearances spanning the 1962/63 and 1963/64 campaigns.

It wasn't until the 1965/66 season that Lester was given a first-team opportunity. He made his debut at left-back in a 5-2 Kent Floodlight Cup win at Deal on 21.12.65 and played twice more before the end of the season.

In June 1966, Lester took part in Margate's three-match tour of West Germany and he went on to make nine further senior appearances during the 1966/67 campaign, impressing with his hard-working style.

He also made a one-off appearance for the first-team during the 1967/68 season. Lester played in the Kent Senior Cup tie at Ashford on 24.1.68 and it turned out to be his final senior appearance for Margate although he was still a regular in the reserves during the 1968/69, 1969/70 and 1970/71 seasons.

He then left the club to join Brett Sports and spent the 1971/72 and 1972/73 seasons there before moving to Herne Bay in the summer of 1973 when Bretts folded. During 1975/76, Lester had a brief stint as Herne Bay's player-manager.

He later had a short spell with Sittingbourne during the 1976/77 season but returned to Herne Bay in March 1977.

In the summer of 1977, Lester was appointed as Herne Bay's player-manager and continued in that role until resigning in February 1980.

In March 1981, Lester joined Ramsgate and then returned to Hartsdown Park as a veteran to play for Thanet United Reserves at the start of the 1981/82 season.

He later became manager of Ramsgate, taking over at Southwood in the summer of 1985. Lester enjoyed three successful years in the job - winning the Kent Senior Trophy in 1988 - before stepping down at the end of the 1987/88 campaign.

However, he returned to Southwood once more at the start of the 1992/93 season, becoming assistant manager to Paul Rimmer. In April 1993, Lester and striker Lennie Lee took over as the Rams' joint caretaker managers when Rimmer resigned.

Lester was also a prominent local cricketer and played football for Kent while with Margate.

Lester's older brother Leslie also played for Margate's first-team and another older brother Larry played for the reserves during the 1960/61 season.

In 2014, Lester was still watching Margate matches at Hartsdown Park and, on 12.4.14, he was one of the many former Margate players who attended the club's 'Legends Day'.