A cool dad and a hero to pop stars and politicians
AS the world of sport, culture and even politics came together to mourn the death of Anfield legend Tommy Smith, his daughter Janette has spoken movingly of his suffering in recent years.
Smith (below, with the
UEFA Cup in 1973) gave his life to Liverpool, and to football, and paid a heavy price. Injuries took a toll to the shocking extent that he was registered disabled not many years after retiring, and he eventually struggled to walk, such was the pain of a wrecked body.
But it was dementia that took an even more crippling hold. The repeated heading of old-fashioned heavy leather footballs, that Smith himself described as “weighing a ton”, surely had a terrible effect on his health, as Janette explained when she announced news of her dad’s death. “Dad died very peacefully in his sleep shortly after 4.30pm today at Green Heys Nursing Home in
Park Road, Waterloo, Crosby,” she said.
“I was on my way to see him when he passed a couple of minutes before I arrived.
“Dad was only in here since the end of January and prior to that had been living in a care and sheltered accommodation complex for three years in Maghull.
“He had been growing increasingly frail and suffering from a variety of ailments over the last three months especially. We are obviously all devastated.”
Smith (below with Reds team-mate Kevin Keegan, after winning the 1974 FA Cup Final) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, shortly before his wife Susanne passed away with the same condition, and his daughter explained the debilitating effect of the illness.
“Mum’s death did hit dad especially hard and the illness took a bit of a grip of him after that, we feel,” she said.
“He was diagnosed at 69, which is no age at all really. He was always very active and young in his mind. He was a cool dad. It’s just really upsetting.”
Figures as wide-ranging as shadow chancellor John Mcdonnell – who described Smith as “one of my Liverpool footballing heroes” – and Liverpool band Echo and the Bunnymen, paid tribute to Smith.
And the club led the condolences to one of the most significant players in their history... recognising the role he played when Bill Shankly made him captain to lead the revolution which took the club to the summit of world football.
“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of our former captain Tommy Smith, aged 74,” read a club statement.
“The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool FC are with Tommy’s family and many friends. Rest in peace, the Anfield Iron.”