And Smith must score...
GORDON SMITH has had that phrase thrown at him countless times over the last 35 years – yet the former Brighton striker takes it all in his stride.
Smith is brutally honest about that famous moment in the 1983 FA Cup final that he admits he will never live down or be allowed to forget – and for which he takes all the blame.
It was the last minute of extra time at Wembley, the players of Manchester United and Brighton had run themselves into the ground, the score stood at 2-2, when Michael Robinson raced clear of a flagging defence and passed the ball to Smith, eight yards out, with only Gary Bailey to beat.
“And Smith must score!” screamed BBC commentator Peter Jones. But the Scot took one touch, shot, and Bailey saved the ball between his legs and grabbed it.
The moment was gone. Forever to be replayed as one of the worst misses of all time. That phrase immortalised as a Brighton fanzine title, and even in song.
“You know what? I hope Brighton win tomorrow and then go on to win the Cup – because perhaps then everybody will stop talking about me!” said the genial Smith, now 63. Smith went on to play for Manchester City before becoming an agent, director of football at Rangers and now a pundit on Scottish television.
“I will live with that moment for the rest of my life,” he said. “I remember I was on tour with City two years later and we were sitting round a pool in Kuala Lumpur and this kid comes round asking for autographs, and he comes to me and he goes, ‘You are Smith, from the miss in the Cup final! ‘ I thought, ‘I’m famous halfway round the world!’ “I will never get over that moment. I have never said in all these years that it was a good save from Bailey that stopped me. I know I should have done better. I should have scored. “I made the wrong decision. I went to hit it hard and low towards his feet, so I did, but it got stuck between his legs. I went for the rebound but I couldn’t get it. “I have never ever done anything but taken the blame. I let everybody down. It still hurts, to this day. We lost the replay 4-0 and our moment had gone. I kept going over it in my mind – we could have won the Cup. “I got stick for years. But there are no excuses. I should have scored.”