Bobby Smith (footballer born 1953)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Nisbet Smith[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 December 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Dalkeith, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 22 February 2010 (aged 56) | ||
| Playing position | Left back Midfielder |
||
| Youth career | |||
| Musselburgh Windsor | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1972–1978 | Hibernian | 152 | (19) |
| 1978–1986 | Leicester City | 181 | (21) |
| 1982 | → Peterborough United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1982 | → Hibernian (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1986–1987 | Hibernian | 10 | (0) |
| 1987–1989 | Dunfermline Athletic | 66 | (1) |
| 1989–1990 | Partick Thistle | 30 | (1) |
| 1990–1991 | Berwick Rangers | 26 | (0) |
| Total | 475 | (42) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Bobby Smith (21 December 1953 – 22 February 2010) was a Scottish association football player, who played most prominently for Hibernian and Leicester City. Smith was primarily a midfielder, but could also play at full back.[2] Smith made 200 appearances in all competitions for both Hibs and Leicester.[1]
Smith started his professional career with Hibs, where he played a part in the successful teams of the early and mid 1970s.[1] Smith attracted the attention of Rangers manager Jock Wallace by scoring a spectacular goal for Hibs against Rangers in a 1976 match.[1] Wallace became Leicester City manager in 1978, and signed Smith for an £85,000 transfer fee later that year.[1] Smith helped Leicester win promotion to the top division twice during his spell with the club.[1]
He regularly captained Leicester during his eight years there.[3]
He was loaned to Peterborough and Hibs during the 1982–83 season, and then returned to Hibs on a "permanent" basis in 1986.[1]
After leaving Hibs for the final time in 1987, Smith played a prominent defensive role for a Dunfermline side that gained promotion to the Premier Division,[2] but was released at the end of that season.[4] After ending his career with spells at Partick Thistle and Berwick Rangers, Smith became a taxi driver,[4] and later ran a pub in Dalkeith called Smith's Bar.[1] Smith died in February 2010 after suffering from cancer, less than a week after former teammate Alan Gordon died from the same illness.[1][5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Bobby Smith; Footballer". The Herald. 4 March 2010. http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/bobby-smith-footballer-1.1011171. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Bobby Smith". Hibernian F.C.. 23 February 2010. http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/20100223/bobby-smith_2262950_1974388. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b Caught in Time: Dunfermline win the First Division, 1989, The Sunday Times, 22 January 2006.
- ^ Hine, Brian (23 February 2010). "Hibees great Bobby Smith passes away (1953–2010)". Hibernian Mad. http://www.hibernian-mad.co.uk/roll/ed11/hibees_great_bobby_smith_passes_away_19532010_499254/index.shtml. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
- Jeffrey, Jim (2005). The Men Who Made Hibernian F.C. since 1946. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-3091-2.
[edit] External links
- 1953 births
- 2010 deaths
- Deaths from cancer
- People from Dalkeith
- Association football midfielders
- Scottish footballers
- Berwick Rangers F.C. players
- Dunfermline Athletic F.C. players
- Hibernian F.C. players
- Leicester City F.C. players
- Partick Thistle F.C. players
- Peterborough United F.C. players
- Scottish Football League players
- The Football League players
- Association football fullbacks
