LIVERPOOL MOURN TOMMY SMITH
LEGENDARY FORMER CAPTAIN DIES AT 74
ThE greatest goals — the really special ones — are accompanied by commentaries that can be recited, word for word, at any given moment.
These are the goals that made history and ensured their scorer’s place in the annals. On May 25, 1977, on a balmy night in rome as his boyhood club conquered Europe, Tommy smith elevated himself into the pantheon.
‘Oh yes!’ proclaimed the BBC’s Barry Davies. ‘And what a delighted scorer! it’s Tommy smith! Look at it again! Oh what an end to a career!’
The joy in Davies’s voice reflected the story and achievements of smith, who gave his life to Liverpool. he was a stalwart in the truest sense, his journey taking him from the terraces to the pinnacle of the game as Liverpool beat Borussia Monchengladbach
to win their first European Cup. smith, who passed away peacefully in his sleep aged 74 yesterday after succumbing to dementia, was destined to wear a red shirt.
he grew up in the shadows of Anfield, worked as a groundsman at the stadium and painted the old safety barriers on the Kop. BButtththere was more tot ititththan jjust t passion and determination. it was through his ability and strengths as, first, a midfielder then a defender. he was known as the ‘Anfield iron’, a cornerstone of Bill shankly’s great teams.
Everyone knows how dominant Liverpool became during the 1970s and 1980s but it is only when you consider the honours that someone such as smith accrued — and the number of games he played — that you begin to appreciate their achievements.
he made 638 appearances for Liverpool; he won the uEFA Cup twice, a European super Cup, ffour lleague titltitles andd ttwo FA CCups to go alongside that shimmering European Cup. smith was hard in every sense and would take no prisoners in his quest for success but it was all for Liverpool.
‘hard but fair’ was how sir Bobby Charlton remembered smith. But he could also play and it was strange that he only won one England cap, against Wales at Wembley in 1971.
it would be wrong to say that smith was universally popular with his team-mates — there was a well-publicised row with the late Emlyn hughes after smith had lost the captaincy — but his passion for Liverpool was clear. After he wound down his career by playing for the Los Angeles Aztecs and swansea City, smith was never too far from Anfield. he became a columnist for the
Liverpool Echo and never minced his words for those who he believed did not measure up to the standards that he helped set.
he lived the dream and that night in rome, when he soared through the air to connect with steve heighway’s driven corner, he achieved something that only the very few can do.
he set the benchmark for the local boys who followed behind such as Phil Thompson, steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher — and the latter two both recognised the achievement when they passed his total number of appearances. Carragher, to illustrate the point, called him: ‘One of the club’s all-time greats.’
When you talk about Liverpool legends, the names such as Dalglish and rush, souness and Barnes, hansen and hunt all come easily to mind. But the name of Tommy smith sits comfortably in their company.
One night in rome and an unforgettable commentary is all the evidence you need.