Perhaps unexpectedly, Martin Smith has been coaching from the frontlines at Gateshead.
Originally joining the club as a coach earlier in the summer to work alongside Ben Clark as part of Lee Cattermole’s coaching staff, setting foot on the Eastleigh pitch on National League match day one was admittedly not something that was in Smith’s mind when taking the job.
Reality is never quite the same as imagined though, and sure enough, Smith was covering grass in central midfield in black and white last weekend after coming on as a second half substitute, having spent the opening 45 in the dugout alongside Cattermole and Clark.
He played a role in Gateshead’s first goal of the new season, playing a diagonal ball for Josh Anifowose to cross and find Ash Boatswain, who slid home from close range.
Despite coming into Gateshead International Stadium solely in a coaching capacity, the evolution of his role has made putting his boots back on a straightforward decision.
“It wasn’t in our plans as staff when we first took the job,” he said.
“Every decision we make is for the good of the team. We’ve got a young group, so there may be certain moments in which a little bit of experience is needed to potentially help the players.
“I will only be on the pitch in moments that I can help influence the game in a positive way and help the team on the pitch.
“It has evolved through pre-season with the more we’ve learned about the squad and begun to understand what the team needs, and I think it’s probably a case of week to week assessing where we’re at as a group.
“I told the gaffer on day one that I’ll be ready whenever I’m needed, in terms of keeping myself fit and being involved in training sessions, but I’ll only be on the pitch if we feel I’m able to help the team.
“It’s amazing for us, because I get to feel it from within, which helps us as coaching staff because you feel things differently to standing on the sidelines.
“I want to help the lads as much as possible, whether that’s from the side or on the pitch, and just help us become a better team.
“I love being out there with the players, and it’s brilliant, but it will always be with a purpose.”
Despite Smith’s impact, Gateshead’s opening day was one which ended in defeat after a long jaunt to Eastleigh.
One goal in either half put the home side two ahead until injury time, when Boatswain netted in the 91st minute, but that strike proved too late to spark a comeback on match day one.
For Smith and the rest of the coaching staff though, there was much to look back on with positivity.
“I think there were a lot of positives from the game, in terms of the performance levels and the lads’ approach to the game,” Smith said.
“We were really competitive, and we deserved something from the game without a doubt, but the reason we didn’t get something from the game was because we just weren’t ruthless enough in both boxes. That’s something that we’ll get better at the more time we spend working together on the pitch.
“It was a really frustrating day, but I’m confident that in those games moving forward in the season, we’ll come out winning those games 2-1 instead of losing them.
“I believe in the team, and I believe in the work that we’re doing as staff every day, so we just need to continue our work and keep driving the same messages home as we did on day one.
“The lads have been brilliant in how receptive they’ve been, so we need to just keep moving in the right direction and hone in on that winning mentality and that ruthless edge of the group. We know it’s there, but we need to bring it to the forefront.
“It was a positive day in terms of a lot of things, and we’ve reflected on areas that we need to improve and get better at, which we will.”
The first chance for that improvement to bear fruit comes today, as Woking visit Gateshead International Stadium for the first home fixture of the 2026/27 season, and of Lee Cattermole’s tenure as manager.
For Smith, both the excitement of his first home fixture as part of Gateshead’s coaching staff and the next opportunity to see the team develop run parallel this afternoon as The Heed look for their first three points of the new season.
“I’m in agreement with the gaffer when he says he sees loads of growth in the team and in the squad,” he said.
“The biggest thing for us at the minute, is we want to be really competitive in every game and teams don’t enjoy playing against us.
“That’s where we want to get to, and I believe we’re there, but the best thing about this team is that I don’t know what our ceiling is yet.
“It’s a positive thing because it’s a sign for us to carry on working and demanding more from each other in order to see that development in the group.
“I believe we’re a good team between both boxes and in being competitive in games, but we need to add that ruthless nature in both boxes – that’s where you win games.
“Without a doubt we’ll get there, and I don’t have one percent of doubt in my mind on that.
“One thing that me and the gaffer speak about a lot is how we want to be really consistent in our behaviours and our approach, so that our application and commitment every day will always be there.
“Whether you win or lose a game, it’s always on to the next day and the next game. If you win 4-0, then the next day in training you have to be right on it again, or if you lose 2-1 like we did last Saturday then you need to be exactly the same.
“What that builds is a strong foundation, and then when you go through periods in the season – which every team does – you never get rocked because that foundation is so strong, and there’s such a togetherness throughout the club.
“We’ll be fully prepared for Saturday, and I’m really excited for it. It’s the first home game of the season, and I’m really excited to see the fans, build a real positive energy around the place, and gather momentum.”
