Gordon Smith (footballer, born July 1954)

This article is about the St Johnstone and Aston Villa defender. For the Rangers forward, and former chief executive of SFA, see Gordon Smith (footballer, born December 1954).

Gordon Smith
Personal information
Full name Gordon Melville Smith[1]
Date of birth (1954-07-03)3 July 1954
Place of birth Partick, Scotland
Date of death 5 April 2014(2014-04-05) (aged 59)
Place of death Glasgow, Scotland
Position(s) Full back
Youth career
Rangers B.C.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1976 St Johnstone 112 (8)
1976–1979 Aston Villa 79 (0)
1979–1982 Tottenham Hotspur 38 (1)
1982–1984 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 (3)
1985 Pittsburgh Spirit 33 (0)
1985–1986 Barnet 22 (0)
Total 335 (13)
International career
1975 Scotland U23 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gordon Melville Smith (3 July 1954 – 5 April 2014) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back.

Career

Born in Partick, he played for the amateur clubs Rangers B.C. and Glasgow United before turning professional with St Johnstone, at which time he was a forward before switching to a defensive role. He also played in England for Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and in the United States for Pittsburgh Spirit.[2]

While at Aston Villa, Smith helped them win the 1976–77 Football League Cup, in the final of which he featured as a substitute in the second and decisive replay.[3]

Smith signed for Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £150,000, but never established himself as a first team regular. Certainly, he played his part in getting Spurs to the 1981 FA Cup Final, but watched from the stands as Ricardo Villa scored one of the iconic Wembley goals. In three seasons at White Hart Lane, he managed barely 30+ games.

While with St Johnstone he gained four Scottish under-23 caps.[4]

Personal life and death

After his playing career, Smith ran a business which installed the special perimeter hoardings used in UEFA Champions League stadia.[1]

He died on 5 April 2014 from natural causes.[1] His grandfather Willie Salisbury was also a footballer, primarily for Partick Thistle.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Obituary - Gordon Melville Smith". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Profile". Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  3. ^ "England - League Cup Finals 1961-2001". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  4. ^ "History - International Saints". St Johnstone F.C. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

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