Edward “Icewater” Smith was delighted at the chance to walk down memory lane when filming of the Clyde Best documentary took place on island last week.

Smith, 92, plays himself as a younger man in a number of scenes filmed last week and still clearly recalls when a young Best, who he coached at Ireland Island Rangers, told him that one day he would have to pay his way into the stadium to watch him play.

Best was proved right and Smith has no regrets about the money he paid to watch Best play for Bermuda at the National Stadium and can still recalling the goal Best scored at the National Stadium.

“Clyde told me what his desire was and that it was to be a professional football player,’’ Smith said.

“I didn't see it that way and my mind was just to raise them up to do the right thing.

“As a youth, he told me that I would pay to see him play one day. That’s coming out of a young man’s mouth and that’s serious business. He was about 13 or 14 at the time and Clyde was something different.

“I paid to see that one game and I can tell you it was quite an experience. He played an excellent game and it was a proud moment for me. I always tell myself that it was worth it.

“I’ll never forget that day, a cross came in from the left into the centre and Clyde took the ball on his chest and volleyed it straight into the net.

“Can you imagine that? Took it from his chest, to his foot, into the back of the net, nobody could move. After that, they took him off to England.”

Being involved in the documentary allowed Smith to do something he and his wife Lois have been passionate about, working with young people.

In 2013 the couple, who have been together for 70 years, was honoured with a CableVision Community Service Award in recognition of their support to the victims and perpetrators of crime through the Bermuda Prison Fellowship.

“I take no credit for what’s going on in my life,’’ Smith said.

“I’ve been dealing with youth all my life. My wife and I, that’s our life, dealing with youth. I don’t like talking about myself very much and I give God all the glory, all the honour and all the praise.”

“Even though I was living in my folly ways back then, I was of use to God because my life was to raise up men. My way of living today is the same thing, I live a mentoring life and I thank God for it.

“It’s not me, it’s him working through me and I’m enjoying every part of it but I thank God for them young men who went on to become great footballers.”

Smith recalls how tough it was dealing with Best and the other talented youngsters who he mentores

“Clyde was a very strong-willed individual as a youngster. He had a no-nonsense attitude,’’ Smith said.

“He needed discipline because as a youngster he once physically challenged me and that was the worst mistake he ever made in his life.

I put him in his place, I didn’t beat him up but I gave him a dressing down. He was a powerful young man and he knew what he wanted to do in life. He was an excellent player.

“I remember one time an indisciplined Clyde and I left him out of the team. We only had a team of about 12 to 13 players and we didn't have any reserves back then.

“I left him out of the team and other players told me I couldn’t leave Clyde out because he was one of our best players. I asked the rest of the team if there was anyone here who didn’t want to play and I got no response because I would have left them out.

“When players became of age, they could no longer play youth football. They wanted me to put them in the senior league but I told them I’m not going to do that because the guys were growing to manhood and becoming a nuisance to me.

“I asked them if they would play one year of friendlies against the senior teams but they said they wanted to play in the league so I told them to go to Somerset Trojans.

“Many of them walked right into the Somerset team because they were excellent players.”

Smith’s association with Ireland Island Rangers ended in 1974 and the club folded shortly after.

“My last association with the Ireland Island Rangers would have probably been around 1974,’’ he said.

“When I was building my home, I gave the players another coach but the players used to complain about him and felt he was too soft on them. That is when the club disintegrated.”

Smith has lost his passion for the game of late because of the conduct of the both the players and the spectators.

“The behaviour of the crowd today drove me away from the game,’’ Smith said.

“I’m a highly disciplined individual and when I go and see mankind supposedly controlling a football match and the behaviour of some of the players look like they’ve got control of the referee, I don’t need that.

“If I was refereeing a game today with some of the players, they might end up with eight or nine players on the field because I’ll send them off. The world is softening today because of a lack of discipline.”