September 06, 2022
Snodgrass signs for HEARTS
Massive news as Legend Robert Snodgrass goes back to Scotland and joins Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Well done Snoddy, so good to see you back in.
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September 06, 2022
Massive news as Legend Robert Snodgrass goes back to Scotland and joins Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Well done Snoddy, so good to see you back in.
September 06, 2022
Massive news as Legend Robert Snodgrass goes back to Scotland and joins Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Well done Snoddy, so good to see you back in.
Back to News Page
September 06, 2022
Massive news as Legend Robert Snodgrass goes back to Scotland and joins Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Well done Snoddy, so good to see you back in.
BackApril 09, 2016
SMI are proud to announce the signing of Nathan McGinley of Middlesbrough FC u21s. Left Back Nathan has showed...
April 09, 2016
SMI are proud to announce the signing of Nathan McGinley of Middlesbrough FC u21s. Left Back Nathan has showed great progress and promise this season and all at SMI welcome him on board.
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April 09, 2016
SMI are proud to announce the signing of Nathan McGinley of Middlesbrough FC u21s. Left Back Nathan has showed great progress and promise this season and all at SMI welcome him on board.
BackApril 01, 2016
SMI are pleased to announce the addition of Ryan Wintle of Crewe Alexander to our client list.
Ryan is a young 18 year old who has broken into the Crewe Alex 1st team and is looking to reproduce the fine form he has showed in their u21 team.
Welcome aboard Ryan..........
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April 01, 2016
SMI are pleased to announce the addition of Ryan Wintle of Crewe Alexander to our client list.
Ryan is a young 18 year old who has broken into the Crewe Alex 1st team and is looking to reproduce the fine form he has showed in their u21 team.
Welcome aboard Ryan..........
BackMarch 25, 2016
Last night marked a historic night for SMI's Robert Snodgrass where he was back on the field for Scotland after his long lay off with injury along with SMI's Russell Martin.
It was great to see Robert back on the field in his countries colours and back to the level he was at before his injury. This is all down to the hard work and determination of Robert to get back on the field. Its been a long hard road but Snodds is now back to his best and will get even better as his professional attitude has seen him improve week after week since his return.
It was a great moment to see Snodds back playing with his old team mate Russell Martin who in all competitions has now 3 clean sheets in his last 3 games. Russell's professional attitude and commitment is helping him perform at the highest level in the Premier League and for his country.
Well done Russ and Snodds on your magnificent performances last night keep up the good work.
Back to News Page
March 25, 2016
Last night marked a historic night for SMI's Robert Snodgrass where he was back on the field for Scotland after his long lay off with injury along with SMI's Russell Martin.
It was great to see Robert back on the field in his countries colours and back to the level he was at before his injury. This is all down to the hard work and determination of Robert to get back on the field. Its been a long hard road but Snodds is now back to his best and will get even better as his professional attitude has seen him improve week after week since his return.
It was a great moment to see Snodds back playing with his old team mate Russell Martin who in all competitions has now 3 clean sheets in his last 3 games. Russell's professional attitude and commitment is helping him perform at the highest level in the Premier League and for his country.
Well done Russ and Snodds on your magnificent performances last night keep up the good work.
BackMarch 23, 2016
SMI's Andrew Davies enjoyed the historic day his Ross County team was paraded around the city in front of their...
March 23, 2016
SMI's Andrew Davies enjoyed the historic day his Ross County team was paraded around the city in front of their fans after winning the Scottish League Cup. Congratulations again mate a great achievement.
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March 23, 2016
SMI's Andrew Davies enjoyed the historic day his Ross County team was paraded around the city in front of their fans after winning the Scottish League Cup. Congratulations again mate a great achievement.
BackMarch 21, 2016
GRASSROOTS...
March 21, 2016
GRASSROOTS football in Glasgow’s Gallowgate was a tough school.
Robert Snodgrass knew it – but the morning he woke up and found the goals he had built burned to the ground, he found out the hard way.
That’s why the kids there were grateful for the guys who did bring order to the chaos of
street football – and who put the positives the game can bring at the heart of their community.
These days, he’s a
Scotland international, has £9million in transfer fees attached to his name and is in the throes of
clawing his way back into England’s top flight with Hull City. But he’ll never lose sight of the grounding he got in the east end.
Or of the two men he credits with helping him get where he has.
Which is why he’s only too happy to endorse MailSport’s annual quest to put men and women like them under the spotlight at our Grassroots Awards.
“I was the same as most kids in Glasgow,” said the 28-year-old. “Tops down for goalposts, playing with your mates in the streets, playing against shutters up the closes. There was always trouble, mums coming out and complaining: ‘Yer boy’s causin’ carnage!’
“I lived right in the heart and soul of the east end at the Gallowgate and we had a couple of complexes built near us eventually. One was a bit further up, near Duke St in Denistoun, where they had a wee bit more money than we did and you had to pay to get in until five o’clock. So we’d wait until after five and climb the fence!
“But the first organised football I played was in school at St Anne’s Primary. The guy who ran the team was Colin Syme and he ended up being one of the biggest influences on my whole career. Still is, actually.
“I only had a pair of trainers, all the other boys had boots but he still picked me against our rivals St Michael’s. We beat them 4-2, I scored two and I was never out the team after that.
“He was a huge figure in my childhood. Outside of school I went to Calton Athletic and there was a guy there called Frank Hughes who was always trying to get boys off the street.
“You talk about unsung
community heroes, these guys deserve all the credit in the world for what they did.
“It wasn’t an easy place to grow up. We never had much, there were gangs everywhere so you had to watch where you went.
“Because of the football I was always quite friendly with
everyone but you had to watch.
“Football was a great leveller though, it brings people together and Frank and Colin could both see that.”
Football may have been a bridge-builder for a wide-eyed 12-year-old – but they were no great respecters of the age of innocence in his neighbourhood.
He said: “All the demolition boys and the scaffolding lads used to play against other crews from around the streets for the odd 20 quid. You should have seen the tackles, man!
“But they could see I could play as a wee guy and they asked me in. I scored a few. There was nearly a full scale riot, me accused of being a ringer – at the age of 12! They were grown men, kicking you all over the place, it was unbelievable.
“I also remember me and my two brothers built goals out of some wood these guys gave us and put some nets on – you know the green stuff they used to hem in the
scaffolding? We also painted a pitch on a bit of spare grass. Then we came out the next day and the goals had been burned down!
“That was the way it was.”
But it wasn’t the way it had to be in the eyes of men like Hughes and Syme.
Snodgrass said: “You need these guys there to give kids opportunities. I look at kids
growing up with the best of
everything in academies and I wonder if they realise how lucky they are.
“We played indoor on wood, on gravel and ash outside. I remember Frank slide tackling us, trying to get us to toughen up!
“But he was the bus driver, the ref, the physio and football needs guys like that, these are the guys who make the game’s heart beat.
“Where we’re from, they realise how little chance you get in life sometimes and they’re prepared to sacrifice some of what they have to help you. I will never
forget that.”
Snodgrass is now fighting fit and back in this week’s Scotland squad after an injury that took 15 months from his career.
Little of his time off was wasted, though, with regular visits back to St Anne’s during his rehab.
He said: “Unfortunately Frank and Colin aren’t as involved as they were and they miss it.
“I’m not sure either of them got the respect they were due.
“But when I was injured I was always back home. I’d go down to see the school team with my dad on a Saturday morning
“One of my good mates, who I played with in the school team that won the league, now takes the team – a guy called Michael Millar. He just gets called the new Colin Syme right enough!”
It wasn’t long before Snodgrass was noticed in the boys club
system and had big choices to make – but he always had
rock-solid advice to fall back on.
He admitted: “I ended up
moving to the boys club Rangers South. Me and James McArthur both ended up there. There were three guys – Stuart Young, his son Alfie and a guy called Eddie Lawrie – coaching us and we were a better team
“We had the full Rangers kit and that was hard! I used to play with Celtic shorts and a bumble-bee Celtic top under my strip, honestly it was mental.
“I used to get wound up all the time. That was growing up in Glasgow though.”
Two years on, he was coveted by most of the country’s
pro youth set-ups. Once again, he turned to his mentor for
guidance – and resisted the
obvious choice.
He revealed: “Celtic had us in, doing the training round about the stadium, trying to entice you, knowing if you were the kind of fan I was that it would appeal to me big time.
“But I trained with Hibs,
Hamilton, Clyde, Rangers even. I eventually went to Livingston, who were really on the up.
“They bent over backwards, they were paying expenses for my family to get me there when it was a struggle.
“I made the decision with my family and with Colin. He was always in my life. My family didn’t have any transport so he’d be the one driving me through to training and games.
“My mum and dad only ever wanted what was right for me, wanted me to be happy, but he was the guy who helped. If you go into his house you’ll find my strips from every club I’ve been at and my Scotland top,
“He doesn’t have them there to show off – he’s just proud of me. That sums up guys like him.
“He’s family and he was good enough when I was getting on in the game to hold his hands up when he knew I needed more help.
“Colin could have pretended he knew what he was doing with contracts and what have you, made a few quid for himself, but he didn’t. He always did what was best for me.
“That’s the type of man he is. That’s the type of man football needs. And anything that gives
people a chance to recognise that? I’m all for it.”
Back to News Page
March 21, 2016
GRASSROOTS football in Glasgow’s Gallowgate was a tough school.
Robert Snodgrass knew it – but the morning he woke up and found the goals he had built burned to the ground, he found out the hard way.
That’s why the kids there were grateful for the guys who did bring order to the chaos of
street football – and who put the positives the game can bring at the heart of their community.
These days, he’s a
Scotland international, has £9million in transfer fees attached to his name and is in the throes of
clawing his way back into England’s top flight with Hull City. But he’ll never lose sight of the grounding he got in the east end.
Or of the two men he credits with helping him get where he has.
Which is why he’s only too happy to endorse MailSport’s annual quest to put men and women like them under the spotlight at our Grassroots Awards.
“I was the same as most kids in Glasgow,” said the 28-year-old. “Tops down for goalposts, playing with your mates in the streets, playing against shutters up the closes. There was always trouble, mums coming out and complaining: ‘Yer boy’s causin’ carnage!’
“I lived right in the heart and soul of the east end at the Gallowgate and we had a couple of complexes built near us eventually. One was a bit further up, near Duke St in Denistoun, where they had a wee bit more money than we did and you had to pay to get in until five o’clock. So we’d wait until after five and climb the fence!
“But the first organised football I played was in school at St Anne’s Primary. The guy who ran the team was Colin Syme and he ended up being one of the biggest influences on my whole career. Still is, actually.
“I only had a pair of trainers, all the other boys had boots but he still picked me against our rivals St Michael’s. We beat them 4-2, I scored two and I was never out the team after that.
“He was a huge figure in my childhood. Outside of school I went to Calton Athletic and there was a guy there called Frank Hughes who was always trying to get boys off the street.
“You talk about unsung
community heroes, these guys deserve all the credit in the world for what they did.
“It wasn’t an easy place to grow up. We never had much, there were gangs everywhere so you had to watch where you went.
“Because of the football I was always quite friendly with
everyone but you had to watch.
“Football was a great leveller though, it brings people together and Frank and Colin could both see that.”
Football may have been a bridge-builder for a wide-eyed 12-year-old – but they were no great respecters of the age of innocence in his neighbourhood.
He said: “All the demolition boys and the scaffolding lads used to play against other crews from around the streets for the odd 20 quid. You should have seen the tackles, man!
“But they could see I could play as a wee guy and they asked me in. I scored a few. There was nearly a full scale riot, me accused of being a ringer – at the age of 12! They were grown men, kicking you all over the place, it was unbelievable.
“I also remember me and my two brothers built goals out of some wood these guys gave us and put some nets on – you know the green stuff they used to hem in the
scaffolding? We also painted a pitch on a bit of spare grass. Then we came out the next day and the goals had been burned down!
“That was the way it was.”
But it wasn’t the way it had to be in the eyes of men like Hughes and Syme.
Snodgrass said: “You need these guys there to give kids opportunities. I look at kids
growing up with the best of
everything in academies and I wonder if they realise how lucky they are.
“We played indoor on wood, on gravel and ash outside. I remember Frank slide tackling us, trying to get us to toughen up!
“But he was the bus driver, the ref, the physio and football needs guys like that, these are the guys who make the game’s heart beat.
“Where we’re from, they realise how little chance you get in life sometimes and they’re prepared to sacrifice some of what they have to help you. I will never
forget that.”
Snodgrass is now fighting fit and back in this week’s Scotland squad after an injury that took 15 months from his career.
Little of his time off was wasted, though, with regular visits back to St Anne’s during his rehab.
He said: “Unfortunately Frank and Colin aren’t as involved as they were and they miss it.
“I’m not sure either of them got the respect they were due.
“But when I was injured I was always back home. I’d go down to see the school team with my dad on a Saturday morning
“One of my good mates, who I played with in the school team that won the league, now takes the team – a guy called Michael Millar. He just gets called the new Colin Syme right enough!”
It wasn’t long before Snodgrass was noticed in the boys club
system and had big choices to make – but he always had
rock-solid advice to fall back on.
He admitted: “I ended up
moving to the boys club Rangers South. Me and James McArthur both ended up there. There were three guys – Stuart Young, his son Alfie and a guy called Eddie Lawrie – coaching us and we were a better team
“We had the full Rangers kit and that was hard! I used to play with Celtic shorts and a bumble-bee Celtic top under my strip, honestly it was mental.
“I used to get wound up all the time. That was growing up in Glasgow though.”
Two years on, he was coveted by most of the country’s
pro youth set-ups. Once again, he turned to his mentor for
guidance – and resisted the
obvious choice.
He revealed: “Celtic had us in, doing the training round about the stadium, trying to entice you, knowing if you were the kind of fan I was that it would appeal to me big time.
“But I trained with Hibs,
Hamilton, Clyde, Rangers even. I eventually went to Livingston, who were really on the up.
“They bent over backwards, they were paying expenses for my family to get me there when it was a struggle.
“I made the decision with my family and with Colin. He was always in my life. My family didn’t have any transport so he’d be the one driving me through to training and games.
“My mum and dad only ever wanted what was right for me, wanted me to be happy, but he was the guy who helped. If you go into his house you’ll find my strips from every club I’ve been at and my Scotland top,
“He doesn’t have them there to show off – he’s just proud of me. That sums up guys like him.
“He’s family and he was good enough when I was getting on in the game to hold his hands up when he knew I needed more help.
“Colin could have pretended he knew what he was doing with contracts and what have you, made a few quid for himself, but he didn’t. He always did what was best for me.
“That’s the type of man he is. That’s the type of man football needs. And anything that gives
people a chance to recognise that? I’m all for it.”
March 14, 2016
Congratulations to Billy Paynter of Hartlepool United showed his importance to his team with a Man Of The Match...
March 14, 2016
Congratulations to Billy Paynter of Hartlepool United showed his importance to his team with a Man Of The Match performance and another goal to get himself in the Football Leagie Team Of The Week. Billy continues to impress, leading the line and contributing with goals and assists for his team in their bid for survival. Keep it up Billy.
Back to News Page
March 14, 2016
Congratulations to Billy Paynter of Hartlepool United showed his importance to his team with a Man Of The Match performance and another goal to get himself in the Football Leagie Team Of The Week. Billy continues to impress, leading the line and contributing with goals and assists for his team in their bid for survival. Keep it up Billy.
BackMarch 14, 2016
Great day for Russell Martin who played his 120th Premier League game for Norwich City on Saturday against Manchester...
March 14, 2016
Great day for Russell Martin who played his 120th Premier League game for Norwich City on Saturday against Manchester City. Russell was at the heart of the Norwich City defence who shut out Sergio Aguero and co to gain a valuable point in their fight for survival. Well Done Russ
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March 14, 2016
Great day for Russell Martin who played his 120th Premier League game for Norwich City on Saturday against Manchester City. Russell was at the heart of the Norwich City defence who shut out Sergio Aguero and co to gain a valuable point in their fight for survival. Well Done Russ
BackMarch 13, 2016
Massive congratulations to Andrew Davies of Ross County who today lifted the trophy after they won the Scottish...
March 13, 2016
Massive congratulations to Andrew Davies of Ross County who today lifted the trophy after they won the Scottish League Cup beating Hibernian 2-1. A huge achievement in his 1st season at Ross County. Well done from all at SMI.
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March 13, 2016
Massive congratulations to Andrew Davies of Ross County who today lifted the trophy after they won the Scottish League Cup beating Hibernian 2-1. A huge achievement in his 1st season at Ross County. Well done from all at SMI.
BackMarch 12, 2016
Hartlepool United's Billy Paynter and Carlisle United's Charlie Wyke added another goal to their league tally...
March 12, 2016
Hartlepool United's Billy Paynter and Carlisle United's Charlie Wyke added another goal to their league tally for the season today. Keep up the hard work lads and keep banging them goals in.
Back to News Page
March 12, 2016
Hartlepool United's Billy Paynter and Carlisle United's Charlie Wyke added another goal to their league tally for the season today. Keep up the hard work lads and keep banging them goals in.
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