Farnham Town can confirm that Tom Smith will be leaving the Club this summer, bringing an end to a 10-year association with the Club.
Over the last decade, Tom has been more than just a footballer for Farnham Town. He’s been an active part of the local community, helped support many Club developmental and grassroots initiatives and been a friendly and approachable face around The Memorial Ground for the thousands of fans who have come through the gate.
Having come through the ranks as a youth player, Tom made his first-team debut during the 2014/15 season where he immediately made himself a mainstay in the side along with Max Meaton who came through at the same time, with the pair spending the last 10 years locking down the fullback positions.
That season, Tom was part of the side that won the Premier Challenge Cup which would be the first piece of silverware the Club had won for many years.
The Town were relegated to the Combined Counties Division One and Step 6 after the 2017/18 season, but Tom recommitted to the Club endeavouring to help the team bounce back and earn promotion back to Step 5. In 2021, he helped the team deliver on that as we returned to the Combined Counties Premier Division South.
In recent seasons, Tom has been a key contributor towards the Town’s emergence as a power player in the league, making 36 appearances in the 2022/23 campaign, scoring three goals and providing 12 assists which was enough to earn him the Playmaker Award for that season.
He was a regular in the side that battled their way to a sixth-placed finish in the league that season which at the time was the highest-ever position Farnham Town had reached in the English football pyramid system, while also helping the team win the Southern Combination Cup over Balham in dramatic circumstances in front of over 1,100 fans at The Memorial Ground.
With our sights set on promotion in 2023/24 – his tenth successive season in the first-team, Tom would be part of the squad that would deliver on the most historic campaign in our 118-year history. He helped the Club equal their best-ever runs in the FA Cup and FA Vase as well as reaching the Surrey Senior Cup Final for the first time.
In August 2023, Smith would make his 250th career appearance for Farnham Town in the 2-0 FA Cup Preliminary Round win over Crowborough Athletic, helping bolster his resume as one of the Club’s most decorated and celebrated players in our history.
Tom featured prominently in the side that would go on to win their first 25 successive league games to start the season, which set a new record in the English football pyramid. The Town are currently on a 48-game unbeaten run in league football dating back to 2022/23, with Tom starting 30 of those games.
Over the course of the season, Tom made 29 appearances for the Town, taking his career tally up to 275 in the process, as we completed an unbeaten league campaign and secured promotion to the Isthmian South Central and Step 4 football for the very first time.
Manager Paul Johnson said: “After we arrived at the Club, it was a turbulent time for a lot of the players who had seen a few managers come and go over the last year or two. Many of them didn’t give us a chance to make an impression and chose to leave, but Tom was one of the few who were willing to stay with us, embrace our plans and kick on.
“Throughout the remainder of that season, Tom was vital for us in building the winning culture in the side as we ended the season 10 games unbeaten and with a trophy in the cabinet. He has a great delivery from wide areas and he set up the most goals of any player in our first season at Farnham.
“This year, we’ve had a great run and great success, but maintaining standards and accountability was important week in, week out. As an experienced player in the team who knows the Club’s values, Tom was important in keeping those standards up amongst the group. He’s been an incredible servant to the Club not just while we’ve been here, but over the last decade, and we wish him the best moving forward.”
Everyone at Farnham Town would like to thank Tom for his decade-long commitment and service to the Club, both on and off the field, and wish him all the best as he continues his football journey elsewhere. He will always be welcomed back to The Memorial Ground with open arms!