Karl Smith

DOB: 1st January 1967

Position: Striker

Season of first appearance: 1986/87

Season of last appearance: 1986/87

Full Appearances: 0

Substitute: 2

Goals: 0

Also played for:

Ramsgate, Deal Town, Welling United.

Player Profile:

Locally-born player who joined Thanet United for the 1986/87 season and played regularly for the reserves during the campaign. Karl also made two appearances for the first-team, making his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Dunstable at Hartsdown on 1.11.86. He also came on as a sub during Thanet's next match, a 3-0 defeat at Dover on 4.11.86.

Karl then returned to the reserves and during the 1987/88 campaign he was their leading goalscorer with seven goals in 20 games but never got another chance in the first-team.

He made two more appearances without scoring for the reserves at the start of 1988/89 before leaving the club altogether.

Karl then joined Ramsgate and spent the 1989/90, 1990/91 and 1991/92 seasons at Southwood before having short spells at Welling and Deal.

Karl returned to the Rams for the 1993/94 campaign and in September 1993 he was sent off for a second bookable offence after just 20 minutes of a 1-0 win at Selsey in the FA Cup having scored the only goal after just 35 seconds. He went on to score over 40 goals during the season and Karl stayed at Southwood for 1997/98. On 29.7.97, he found the net with a superb free-kick as the Rams lost 3-1 at Margate in the Link Music Cup and in August 1997 he scored seven goals for the Rams' reserves in a 15-0 win over Faversham.

Karl later dropped into local amateur football.

His brother Kevin also played for Thanet United.