This article is about the Rangers forward, and former SFA chief executive. For the St Johnstone and Aston Villa defender, see Gordon Smith (footballer, born July 1954).
Gordon Duffield Smith (born 29 December 1954)[4] is a Scottish football player, coach and executive. Smith played for several clubs, including Kilmarnock, Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City. After retiring as a player, he worked as a football agent and BBC football pundit before being appointed chief executive of the Scottish Football Association in 2007, a post he held until his resignation on 19 April 2010.[5] Smith then worked as the director of football of Rangers during the 2011–12 season.
Smith was also responsible for the introduction of an agreement between the Home Nations' football associations which allowed players educated in a home nation for five years before the age of eighteen to represent that nation at international level. As a result of the change in policy, several players have gone on to represent a country they were previously ineligible for.
He was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1980 for a record transfer fee of £440,000. He returned to Rangers on loan in December 1982, playing in the 1982 League Cup Final defeat by Celtic. Smith made three appearances during his loan spell without scoring.
Smith played for Brighton in the 1983 FA Cup Final against Manchester United. He scored the first Brighton goal, but his appearance is best remembered for a chance to win the cup for Brighton late in extra time – the ball broke to Smith within 10 yards of the goal, but his shot was smothered by United goalkeeperGary Bailey.[7] The match ended in a 2–2 draw, and Brighton lost 4–0 in the replay.
During his time with Basel, Smith played a total of 26 competitive games (25 in the Nationalliga A, one in the Swiss Cup) and scored three goals, all in the domestic league.[10]
Smith had a spell as assistant manager of St Mirren between 1990 and 1993[citation needed] before beginning careers in the media and as a football agent. He represented many players, including Scotland players Paul Lambert and Kenny Miller.[citation needed] Smith published an autobiography in 2005, entitled "And Smith Did Score".
Scottish Football Association
Smith relinquished his career as an agent to take up the position of Scottish Football Association chief executive, which had been vacated by David Taylor moving to UEFA, in June 2007.[11] Soon after being appointed SFA chief executive, he suggested in a book that there was "an agenda against Rangers", the team he formerly played for.[12] Smith's spell as CEO of the Scottish FA ended when he resigned in April 2010 due to personal reasons.[13] After leaving the SFA, Smith wrote a weekly column in the Scottish edition of the Daily Express newspaper and featured on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.
However, he did make his mark in international football, Smith was the driver behind the 2009 Home nations agreement,[citation needed] which allowed players being educated for five years under the age of 18 in a Home nation to become eligible for that nation at full international level. Due to this policy change, several players who were otherwise ineligible could play international football for the nation they were educated and raised in. Somalia-born Islam Feruz became eligible for Scotland, Chester-born Andy Dorman represented Wales and Jamaican-born Raheem Sterling went on to play for England.
^Müller, Lukas (2010). "Rotblau: Peter Bernauer - Zuverlässig und kopfballstark im Abwehrzentrum". Rotblau (in German). FC Basel Marketing AG. ISSN1660-0878.