We were going into the premier league with Brian Murphy as our backup goalkeeper, we needed someone who could step in if Etheridge got injured and could also put pressure on him for his place, Smithies was widely regarded as one of the best in the league at that point (and probably still is today), £3.5m is a relatively modest fee for a premier league club to pay and Smithies has gone on to serve the club very well. An excellent signing.