Tommy Smith moved from Liverpool to Swansea in the summer of 1978 to link up
with former team-mate John Toshack after serving the club at Anfield quite
magnificently for 16 years. He is pictured above during the 4-0 win against
Leicester City.
| Liverpool: |
1962-1963 |
Played |
1 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1963-1964 |
Played |
0 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1964-1965 |
Played |
25 |
Scored |
4 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1965-1966 |
Played |
42 |
Scored |
3 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1966-1967 |
Played |
42 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1967-1968 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
3 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1968-1969 |
Played |
42 |
Scored |
6 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1969-1970 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
4 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1970-1971 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
2 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1971-1972 |
Played |
37 |
Scored |
6 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1972-1973 |
Played |
33 |
Scored |
2 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1973-1974 |
Played |
34 |
Scored |
1 |
goal |
(Division 1) |
| |
1974-1975 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
2 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1975-1976 |
Played |
24 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1976-1977 |
Played |
16 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1977-1978 |
Played |
22 |
Scored |
2 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| . |
The photograph of Liverpool's great servant Tommy Smith was taken on Saturday
January 22nd. 1972. In white boots ! Image by George Herringshaw. ©
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England.
He had a well-deserved reputation as the hardest man in the game but Liverpool's Tommy Smith (he is pictured above playing for his beloved Reds) was a footballer with class at the back when required, plus a capability to organise his defence and frighten the wits out of his opponents without getting into serious trouble with officialdom. So why did he only get one England cap? Alf Ramsey ignored club reputations or infamy among the media or other players - his defence of Nobby Stiles against the FA suits during the 1966 World Cup bears that out - yet only once did he call upon Smith to feature for his country. The game was a goalless Home International humdrum with Wales at Wembley in the summer of 1971, shortly after Tommy and Liverpool had just lost the FA Cup final there, and despite the clean sheet and an obvious understanding at England level with club partner Larry Lloyd, Smith was never to return.
Ramsey liked the look of Derby's emerging Roy McFarland as a partner to Bobby Moore, and further defensive options simply meant that Smith's presence was seen as excessive. The fact that Tommy and clubmate Emlyn Hughes, a Ramsey favourite and future skipper, did not see eye to eye probably contributed, even though their disagreements never affected their displays on the pitch together. However, before Smith's reputation is clouded by allegations of dirty play, it's worth pointing out that he was never sent off in his career and was booked for dissent far more often than for actual fouls. England missed out. (Matthew Rudd)
Tommy Smith died on Friday 12th. April 2019 aged 74. He died in his sleep shortly after 4.30pm at Green Heyes nursing home in Park Road, Waterloo, Crosby. He made 638 appearances for the club between 1960 and 1978, scoring 48 goals and winning nine major trophies, as well as captaining the Reds for three years.
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