Tommy Smith (footballer, born 1945)

Thomas Smith MBE (5 April 1945 – 12 April 2019) was an English footballer. He played as a defender. He was born in Liverpool.

Tommy Smith

Smith in October 1966
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Smith
Date of birth	(1945-04-05)5 April 1945
Place of birth	Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Date of death	12 April 2019(2019-04-12) (aged 74)
Place of death	Crosby, Merseyside, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1960–1962	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1962–1978	Liverpool	467	(36)
1976	→ Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan)	17	(0)
1978	Los Angeles Aztecs	12	(0)
1978–1979	Swansea City	36	(2)
Total		532	(38)
National team
1965–1968	England U23	10	(2)
1971	England	1	(0)
Teams managed
1978	Los Angeles Aztecs
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Smith was best remembered for his time at Liverpool for 16 years from 1962 to 1978. He was known for his firm defensive style. Manager Bill Shankly once said of him: "Tommy Smith wasn't born, he was quarried". He was also nicknamed the "Anfield Iron". His most memorable moment for the club probably came when he scored Liverpool's second goal in the 1977 European Cup Final against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He also played at club level for Tampa Bay Rowdies, Los Angeles Aztecs and Swansea City. He played once for England, in 1971.

Smith had dementia in his final years. He died on 12 April 2019, at the age of 74.^[1]

Statistics

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Liverpool	1962–63	First Division	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	1963–64	First Division	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1964–65	First Division	25	4	8	0	7	0	40	4
	1965–66	First Division	42	3	1	0	10	1	53	4
	1966–67	First Division	42	1	4	0	6	0	51	1
	1967–68	First Division	36	3	7	1	8	2	51	6
	1968–69	First Division	42	6	4	1	5	0	51	7
	1969–70	First Division	36	4	3	0	6	3	45	7
	1970–71	First Division	41	2	7	0	13	1	61	3
	1971–72	First Division	37	6	3	0	5	0	45	6
	1972–73	First Division	33	2	2	0	14	1	49	3
	1973–74	First Division	34	1	7	0	8	0	49	1
	1974–75	First Division	36	2	0	0	9	1	45	3
	1975–76	First Division	24	0	2	0	9	0	35	0
	1976–77	First Division	16	0	4	0	8	1	28	1
	1977–78	First Division	22	2	0	0	12	0	34	2
	Total		467	36	52	2	120	10	639	48
Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan)	1976[2]	NASL	17	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
Los Angeles Aztecs	1978[2]	NASL	12	0	0	0	0	0	12	0
Swansea City	1978–79	Third Division	36	2	4	0	3	0	43	2
Career Total			532	38	56	2	123	10	711	50

Honours

Liverpool^[3]

• Football League First Division: 1965–66, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77
• FA Cup: 1964–65, 1973–74
• FA Charity Shield: 1965 (shared), 1966, 1974, 1977 (shared)
• European Cup: 1976–77, 1977–78
• UEFA Cup: 1972–73, 1975–76
• UEFA Super Cup: 1977

References

1. "Tommy Smith: Liverpool great dies, aged 74". BBC Sport. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
2. "NASL Stats". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
3. "Profile". lfchistory.net. Retrieved 1 June 2016.

Other websites

• Tommy Smith at WorldFootball.net