Bobby Smith (footballer, born 1953)

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]

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]
Playing 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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

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
  1. McElroy, Robert (4 March 2010). "Bobby Smith; Footballer". The Herald. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  2. "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. "Bobby Smith". Hibernian F.C. 23 February 2010. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  6. 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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