Gordon Smith (footballer, born 1924)

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Gordon Smith (25 May 1924 – 7 August 2004) was a Scottish footballer. He is the only player to have won a Scottish league championship with three clubs: Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian, and Dundee. Smith also represented Scotland and the Scottish League XI.

Club career

Hibernian

Born in Edinburgh, Smith spent most of his childhood in Montrose in Angus. He showed great footballing promise in his school days at Southesk and Montrose Academy, earning two Scottish schoolboy caps at aged 14. At the juvenile and junior level, he played for Bromford, Kirriemuir Harp (turning out a few times for junior sides Montrose Roselea and Kirriemuir Thistle) and Dundee North End. Smith scored an abundance of goals in his junior days, regularly netting a hat-trick and even as many as eight goals a match.[1]

On 14 April 1941, Smith played for a Scottish Junior select side against a Hearts and Hibs select to celebrate the opening of Lochee Harp's Beechwood Park, scoring a hat-trick.[1] Afterwards, both Edinburgh club's quickly sought his signature. Smith had been due to sign for his boyhood favourites Hearts,[2] but the 16-year-old was signed by Hibs as a professional and played against their Edinburgh rivals on his debut, scoring a hat-trick in a 5–3 victory at Tynecastle on 28 April 1941.[3]

The "Gay Gordon" soon established himself as an idol for a whole generation of post-war football fans. Alongside Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond, Smith became part of the "Famous Five", the most celebrated forward line in Hibs' history. During the late 1940s and 1950s Smith and the Famous Five ensured Hibs were one of the most successful sides in Scotland, both sporting-wise and at the turnstiles. The League title was captured three times (1948, 1951, 1952), while 1953 saw Rangers pip Hibs only through the goal average system. Smith was less successful in cup competition however, reaching only one Scottish Cup Final with Hibs, which they lost 2–1 to Aberdeen in 1947.

A recurring ankle injury led to Hibs releasing him in 1959.

Heart of Midlothian

Smith believed that an operation could cure the injury.[4] Smith paid for an operation on the offending ankle himself, and then he signed for Hearts.[4] He was to enjoy immediate success at Tynecastle, winning both the league and the League Cup in his first season with the club.[4]

After an injury-plagued second season with Hearts, Smith was released and again the football writers prepared obituaries for the veteran's career.

Dundee

Smith was to again confound contemporary wisdom, signing for Dundee and forming a part of their league winning side in 1962. At the age of 38, Smith had achieved the unique distinction of being the only player to win the league title with three different teams, none of them with either half of the traditionally dominant Old Firm.

In the following season Smith was paired in a forward line with Alan Gilzean. They helped Dundee to the European Cup semi-finals, where they performed gallantly in an aggregate defeat to A.C. Milan. After leaving Dundee, he played briefly for Drumcondra in the Republic of Ireland, before finally retiring at the end of the 1963–64 season.[4][5]

International career

During his playing career, Gordon Smith was capped 19 times by Scotland, scoring four goals. Smith was compared with his English contemporaries Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney,[2][6] but he did not appear to have a "big-match temperament".[2] Smith had to compete for selection with Rangers winger Willie Waddell, who was capped 17 times in the same period.[2][4] In addition to his appearances for the national team, Smith appeared 11 times for the Scottish League XI.[7]

Career statistics

International appearances

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International statistics
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 1946 2 0
1947 2 0
1948 3 0
1949 —
1950 —
1951 —
1952 2 0
1953 —
1954 —
1955 6 3
1956 1 0
1957 3 1
Total 19 4

International goals

As of 4 March 2019Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".[8][9][10][11]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 Template:Dts JNA Stadium, Belgrade 11 {{ Template:Yesno alias = Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shortname alias = Yugoslavia flag alias = Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg flag alias-shs = Flag of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.svg flag alias-army = Yugoslavia Infantry flag.svg flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Yugoslavia (1949–1993).svg flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Yugoslavia (1949–1993).svg link alias-military = Yugoslav People's Army link alias-army = Yugoslav Ground Forces link alias-naval = Yugoslav Navy link alias-air force = Yugoslav Air Force link alias-navy = Yugoslav Navy size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}}||align=center|2–2||align=center|2–2||Friendly match

2 Template:Dts Prater Stadium, Vienna 12 {{ Template:Yesno alias = Austria flag alias = Flag of Austria.svg flag alias-empire = Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg flag alias-state = Flag of Austria (state).svg flag alias-1230 = Flag of Austria (1230–1934).svg flag alias-war = Austria-Hungary-flag-1869-1914-naval-1786-1869-merchant.svg flag alias-1934 = State flag of Austria (1934–1938).svg flag alias-1938 = Flag of Germany (1935–1945).svg


flag alias-army = Flag of Austria (state).svg flag alias-air force = Flag of Austria (state).svg link alias-army = Austrian Land Forces flag alias-naval = Flag of Austria (state).svg link alias-naval = Austrian Navy link alias-air force = Austrian Air Force flag alias-navy = Flag of Austria (state).svg link alias-navy = Austrian Navy size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}}||align=center|2–0||align=center|4–1||Friendly match

3 Template:Dts Nepstadion, Budapest 13 {{ Template:Yesno alias = Hungary flag alias = Flag of Hungary.svg flag alias-1848 = Flag of Hungary (1848-1849, 1867-1869).svg flag alias-1849 = Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg flag alias-1867 = Flag of Hungary (1848-1849, 1867-1869).svg flag alias-1869 = Flag of Hungary (1869-1874).svg flag alias-1874 = Flag of Hungary (1874-1896).svg flag alias-1896 = Flag of Hungary (1896-1915; angels).svg flag alias-1915 = Flag of Hungary (1915-1918; angels).svg flag alias-1918 = Flag of Hungary (1918-1919).svg flag alias-1919 = Flag of Hungary (1919).svg flag alias-1920 = Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946).svg flag alias-1946 = Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg flag alias-1949 = Flag of Hungary (1949-1956; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg flag alias-1956 = Flag of Hungary (1946-1949, 1956-1957; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg flag alias-1957 = Flag of Hungary.svg flag alias-state = Flag of Hungary with arms (state).svg flag alias-civil = Civil Ensign of Hungary.svg flag alias-naval = Naval Ensign of Hungary.svg Hungarian River Guard flag alias-military = Flag of the Hungarian Defence Forces.svg link alias-military = Hungarian Defence Forces flag alias-army = War Flag of Hungary.svg link alias-army = Hungarian Ground Forces link alias-air force = Hungarian Air Force flag alias-navy = Naval Ensign of Hungary.svg Hungarian River Guard size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}}||align=center|1–0||align=center|1–3||Friendly match

4 Template:Dts Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid 19 {{ Template:Yesno alias = Spain flag alias = Flag of Spain.svg flag alias-1506 = Flag of Cross of Burgundy.svg flag alias-1701 = Bandera de España 1701-1748.svg flag alias-1748 = Bandera de España 1748-1785.svg flag alias-1760 = Bandera de España 1760-1785.svg flag alias-1785 = Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg flag alias-1873 = Flag of the First Spanish Republic.svg flag alias-1874 = Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg flag alias-1931 = Flag of Spain (1931–1939).svg flag alias-civil-1931 = Flag of the Second Spanish Republic (plain).svg flag alias-1936 = Flag of the Bando Nacional (1936–1938).svg flag alias-1938 = Flag of Spain (1938–1945).svg flag alias-1945 = Flag of Spain (1945–1977).svg flag alias-1977 = Flag of Spain (1977–1981).svg flag alias-civil = Flag of Spain (civil).svg flag alias-civil-1785 = BandMercante1785.svg flag alias-navy = Flag of Spain.svg link alias-navy = Spanish Navy flag alias-marines = Flag of Spain.svg link alias-marines = Spanish Marine Infantry flag alias-army = Flag of Spain.svg link alias-army = Spanish Army flag alias-naval = Naval Jack of Spain.svg link alias-naval = Spanish Navy flag alias-air force = Flag of Spain.svg link alias-air force = Spanish Air and Space Force size = name = altlink = national football team variant =

}}||align=center|1–3||align=center|1–4||1958 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Hibernian
Heart of Midlothian
Dundee
Scotland
Dundee North End
  • Forfarshire Junior Consolation Cup: 1940-41
Individual

See also

References

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  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ [1], Irish Times.
  6. ↑ Gordon Smith dies, BBC Sport, 7 August 2004.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b Template:SFA Profile
  9. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ 0-0 Vs Rangers in Scottish Southern League Cup (20/05/1944) Fitbastats. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
    Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Scottish Football Hall of Fame Template:Hibernian F.C. Hall of Fame

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