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Bobby Smith (footballer, born 1953)

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Bobby Smith
Personal information
Full name Robert Nisbet Smith[1][2]
Date of birth (1953-12-21)21 December 1953[2]
Place of birth Dalkeith,[2] Scotland
Date of death 22 February 2010(2010-02-22) (aged 56)[2]
Place of death Edinburgh,[2] Scotland
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[3]
Position(s) Left back, Midfielder
Youth career
Musselburgh Windsor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1978 Hibernian 152 (19)
1978–1986 Leicester City 181 (21)
1982 → Peterborough United (loan) 5 (0)
1982 → Hibernian (loan) 5 (0)
1986–1987 Hibernian 10 (0)
1987–1989 Dunfermline Athletic 66 (1)
1989–1990 Partick Thistle 30 (1)
1990–1991 Berwick Rangers 26 (0)
Total 475 (42)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Nisbet Smith (21 December 1953 – 22 February 2010) was a Scottish footballer who played most prominently for Hibernian and Leicester City. Smith was primarily a midfielder, but could also play at full back.[4] Smith made 200 appearances in all competitions for both Hibs and Leicester.[1]

Smith started his professional career with Hibs, where he played a part in the successful teams of the early and mid-1970s.[1] Smith attracted the attention of Rangers manager Jock Wallace by scoring a spectacular goal for Hibs against Rangers in a 1976 match.[1] Wallace became Leicester City manager in 1978, and signed Smith for an £85,000 transfer fee later that year.[1] Smith helped Leicester win promotion to the top division twice during his spell with the club.[1] He regularly captained Leicester during his eight years there.[5]

He was loaned to Peterborough and Hibs during the 1982–83 season, and then returned to Hibs on a "permanent" basis in 1986.[1] After leaving Hibs for the final time in 1987, Smith played a prominent defensive role for a Dunfermline side that gained promotion to the Premier Division,[4] but was released at the end of that season.[6]

After ending his career with spells at Partick Thistle and Berwick Rangers, Smith became a taxi driver,[6] and later ran a pub in Dalkeith called Smith's Bar.[1] He died in February 2010 after suffering from cancer, less than a week after former teammate Alan Gordon died from the same illness.[1][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i McElroy, Robert (4 March 2010). "Bobby Smith; Footballer". The Herald. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Bobby Smith". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  4. ^ a b "Bobby Smith". Hibernian F.C. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Nigel's WebSpace - English Football Cards, Player death notices".
  6. ^ a b White, Neil (22 January 2006). "Caught in Time: Dunfermline win the First Division, 1989". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011.
  7. ^ Hine, Brian (23 February 2010). "Hibees great Bobby Smith passes away (1953–2010)". Hibernian Mad. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  • Jeffrey, Jim (2005). The Men Who Made Hibernian F.C. since 1946. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-3091-2.
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