Gordon Smith in 1978
|
|||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gordon Duffield Smith | ||
Date of birth | 29 December 1954 | ||
Place of birth | Kilwinning, Scotland | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Playing position | Forward / Midfielder | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1972–1977 | Kilmarnock | 161 | (36) |
1977–1980 | Rangers | 98 | (35) |
1980–1983 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 109 | (22) |
1982 | → Rangers (loan) | 2 | (0) |
1983–1985 | Manchester City | 45 | (15) |
1985–1986 | Oldham Athletic | 9 | (0) |
1986–1987 | Admira Wacker | 38 | (6) |
1987–1988 | FC Basel | 25 | (3) |
1988 | Stirling Albion | 3 | (0) |
National team | |||
1975–1976 | Scotland U23 | 5 | (0) |
1978 | Scotland U21 | 1 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Gordon Duffield Smith (born 29 December 1954 in Kilwinning) is a Scottish football player, coach and executive. Smith played for several clubs, including Kilmarnock, Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City. After retiring as a player, he worked as a football agent and BBC football pundit before being appointed chief executive of the Scottish Football Association in 2007, a post he held until his resignation on 19 April 2010. Smith then worked as the director of football of Rangers during the 2011–12 season.
Smith was also responsible for the introduction of an agreement between the Home Nations' football associations which allowed players educated in a home nation for five years before the age of eighteen to represent that nation at international level, as a result of the change in policy several players have gone on to represent a country they were previously ineligible for.
Smith started his career with Kilmarnock, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Mattha Smith. He was known as Casper (after the ghost) for the way he 'ghosted ' past defenders in his path. He was sold to Rangers in 1977 for £65,000. In his first season with Rangers, Smith won the domestic treble, scoring 27 goals from midfield. He also scored the winning goal in the 1978 Scottish League Cup Final, against Celtic.
He was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1980 for a record transfer fee of £440,000. He returned to Rangers on loan in December 1982, playing in the 1982 Scottish League Cup Final defeat by Celtic. Smith made three appearances during his loan spell, without scoring.