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Gordon Smith (footballer, born 1924)

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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.

Gordon Smith
Personal information
Date of birth (1924-05-25)25 May 1924
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death 7 August 2004(2004-08-07) (aged 80)
Place of death North Berwick, Scotland
Position(s) Outside right
Youth career
1935–1938 Bromford Boys Club
1938–1940 Kirriemuir Harp
1939 → Kirriemuir Thistle
1939 → Montrose Roselea
1940 → Hillside United
1940–1941 Dundee North End
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1941–1959 Hibernian 310 (125)
1959–1961 Heart of Midlothian 42 (13)
1961–1964 Dundee 70 (9)
1964 Drumcondra 1 (0)
Total 430 (147)
International career
1938 Scotland (Schoolboys) 2 (2)
1941 Scottish Junior XI 1 (3)
1946–1957 Scotland 19 (4)
1948–1955 Scottish League XI 11 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Hibernian

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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

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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

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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

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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

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International appearances

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As of 4 March 2019[8][9][10][11]
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

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As of 4 March 2019[8][9][10][11]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 15 May 1955 JNA Stadium, Belgrade 11   Yugoslavia 2–2 2–2 Friendly match
2 19 May 1955 Prater Stadium, Vienna 12   Austria 2–0 4–1 Friendly match
3 29 May 1955 Nepstadion, Budapest 13   Hungary 1–0 1–3 Friendly match
4 26 May 1957 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid 19   Spain 1–3 1–4 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Smith, Tony (20 January 2012). Gordon Smith: Prince of Wingers. B & W Pub. ISBN 978-1845023515.
  2. ^ a b c d Glanville, Brian (12 August 2004). "Obituary: Gordon Smith". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Hearts 3 Hibernian 5". londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Montford memories: The elusive Gordon Smith was hard to pin down both on and off a football pitch". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 16 January 2010.
  5. ^ [1], Irish Times.
  6. ^ Gordon Smith dies, BBC Sport, 7 August 2004.
  7. ^ "Scotland FL Players by Appearances". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  8. ^ a b Gordon Smith at the Scottish Football Association
  9. ^ a b Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (4 January 2018). "Scotland - International Matches 1946-1950". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (31 January 2019). "Scotland - International Matches 1951-1955". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  11. ^ a b Brown, Alan; Tossani, Gabriele (13 December 2018). "Scotland - International Matches 1956-1960". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  12. ^ 0-0 Vs Rangers in Scottish Southern League Cup (20/05/1944) Fitbastats. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Mon 18 Sep 1944, Hearts 2 Hibernian 6, Wilson Cup".
    "Wed 15 Aug 1945, Hibernian 4 Hearts 1, Wilson Cup Final". London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Wed 9 May 1945, Hibernian 2 Hearts 2 (7-6 on corners), Rosebery Cup Final". London Hearts SC. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Gordon Smith, 2004 Inductee". SFHoF. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Gordon Smith, 2003 Inductee". SSHoF. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Played for Dundee and Heart of Midlothian – Gordon Smith". Dundee Fc. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  18. ^ "HIBERNIAN FC HALL OF FAME AWARDS". Gaudio. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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