69 years ago today

[Jonnyboy]

A landmark date in the history of Hibernian Football Club

The sun was trying hard to break through light cloud over the Angus town of Arbroath when Hibernian manager Willie McCartney arrived at a local hotel to meet a young lad by the name of Gordon Smith who soon arrived with his Dad for company. Smith was a Dundee North End footballer and had played for a Scottish Junior Select against a Hibs/Hearts select, catching the eye of both McCartney and his Hearts counterpart Frank Moss.

Although only 16 years old Smith had sparkled brightly in that game and both Edinburgh clubs were keen to acquire his services with Hearts thinking themselves favourites because Smith’s Dad was an Edinburgh man who had followed the Tynecastle outfit. As it turned out Hearts were only willing to take the lad on trial whilst McCartney had seen all he needed to see and offered to sign Smith on a professional contract. Clearly the lad wanted to think it through and so McCartney agreed to meet him the following day at the North British Hotel in Edinburgh with the Hibs boss parting company that day by telling Smith ‘Mind and bring your boots.’

The Monday dawned, Smith arrived, McCartney signed him and the rest is history. As a signing on fee Gordon was handed a £10 note and would later say “I wasn’t even 17 yet and that £10 made me feel like a millionaire” The date was Monday 28 April 1941 and Hibs were playing that evening against Hearts at Tynecastle in a Wartime Southern League match held over from New Years Day when bad weather had caused a postponement. Arriving at the ground Smith revealed that a friend was meant to bring his boots along but had not turned up and so the 16 year old debutant had to borrow a pair from one of his new team mates.

Lining up at the start Smith realised he would be up against the fearsome Jimmy Dykes, a Hearts defender that took no prisoners and sure enough the pivot soon let Gordon know he was in a game but with a spirit he would display countless times in the years ahead the youngster set about scoring a hat trick in a 5-3 Hibs win. Sadly there were fewer than 4,000 fans in attendance but they must surely have been impressed by this kid playing amongst men. Interestingly, Bobby Combe also made his debut that night and scored with Tommy Adams getting the other one.

The country was of course at war with Germany and although football continued to be played the Leagues were divided geographically so as to cut down on travel with Hibs finding themselves in the Southern League. It was in that League, in September 1941 that Gordon bagged two goals for Hibs in a stunning 8-1 win over Rangers at Easter Road. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Bobby Combe scored four and when news of that result reached the rest of Scotland it was met with utter amazement, especially when it became clear that Rangers had been at their strongest.

Smith went on to enjoy seventeen years at Easter Road and scored no fewer than 17 hat tricks amongst a barrowload of goals, finishing top scorer at Hibs every year between 1943 and 1950. In season 1947/48 when Hibs were crowned champions they beat Third Lanark 8-0 at Easter Road and Gordon scored five, only to proclaim after the match that he didn’t think he’d played that well! A few weeks after that Hibs were at Ibrox and Gordon was getting kicked up and down the park but that didn’t stop him scoring twice with one of those from all of 40 yards as he lobbed Scottish International goalkeeper Bobby Brown.

When Hibs toured Brazil Gordon starred in the Maracana and afterwards both home club Vasco da Gama and French visitors Cannes wanted to sign him but he refused and explained his decision by saying “I didn’t think there were better teams than Hibs around at that time”

In time Hibs were to treat him quite shabbily in releasing him because of a continuing problem with an ankle injury as they felt his career was ending. Totally shattered by the decision he said “I was sick; absolutely shattered that Hibs didn’t want me. I tried to put on a brave face but it was hurtful to be released after what I had gone through.”

Many decisions are made in football when it comes to players moving on and Managers would be the first to admit they don’t always get it right. Certainly the decision on Smith proved in time to have been made in haste when the player subsequently joined Hearts where he won a League Cup and League Championship medal before moving on to Dundee where he won another League Championship medal, giving him the unique and surely never to be repeated record of winning League Championships with three different clubs. Not only that but he had appeared in the European Cup with three different sides too, reaching round one with Hearts when Benfica knocked them out and then the semi final again with Dundee this time where they lost to eventual winners AC Milan.

Today marks the 69th anniversary of Gordon Smith joining Hibernian. His name lives on and rightly so because he was a true Hibernian legend.

[ballengeich]

Thanks for the post about one of the greatest.

Sorry to have to correct you, but Dundee's European Cup semi was against AC Milan - it was the only time I saw Gordon Smith playing.

[Jonnyboy]

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Thanks for the post about one of the greatest.

Sorry to have to correct you, but Dundee's European Cup semi was against AC Milan - it was the only time I saw Gordon Smith playing.

No need for apologies - I'll correct it

[LHWM]

He still holds the record for most competitive Derby Appearances (37) and goals (15) for Hibs. Remarkable when you consider that He played in a era of 2 games a season.

See

http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/opp/hibernian.htm#a1

As Andrew Goldie said in tribute to him on our site

Anyone who saw him play can count themselves privileged; fans of Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian and Dundee could call him their own, for he won League Championships with them all - but he belonged to every Scot, not just the football fan: my mother told me she went to see him play because he was a handsome man, he was an athlete, he was a gentleman.
Scotland was in awe of Gordon Smith. He was a superstar before the word was invented.

[KWJ]

Great read, thanks.

[Sandy]

From the stories my father told me, he was the best player Scotland has ever had :notworthy:

[DaveF]

Nice one John

[--------]

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From the stories my father told me, he was the best player Scotland has ever had :notworthy:

Cannae have been - he never played for either Rangers or Celtic.

My father reckoned he was the very best footballer he ever saw (better than George Best), a sportsman on the field and a gentleman off it.

My father-in-law came from Lennoxtown, but travelled to watch Hibs regularly just to see Smith play. Smith was the reason Bill was a life-long Hibee - even though he lived in Lennoxtown.

Bill worked on the railways, and one of the first times I spoke to him without the family around was over the phone at about half-past five on a Saturday afternoon.

He was in Waverley, and wanted to know if he could come up to the house to visit.

I said, fine, on you come, and then he asked me if I had got the football results.

I went down the list, and when I told him Dundee had beaten Rangers 3-2 he said, good - he always liked it when "the Beasts" got beat. Now "the Beasts" is how us auld yins at ER used to refer to the Glasgow Rangers....

So I asked him, you a Hibee?

He said, aye.

So that was right. Bill came up and had his tea.

And he and I talked Hibs the WHOLE evening.

Drove SWMBO demented.

[iwasthere1972]

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A landmark date in the history of Hibernian Football Club

Here's me thinking it was your birthday.

Seriously - A good read and thoroughly enjoyed.

[Seveno]

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From the stories my father told me, he was the best player Scotland has ever had :notworthy:

My Dad told me the exactlysame. You're not my long lost brother, Sandy, are you ?

Thanks for a good read, Jonnyboy. You are a bit of a legend yourself.

[Sandy]

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My Dad told me the exactlysame. You're not my long lost brother, Sandy, are you ?

Thanks for a good read, Jonnyboy. You are a bit of a legend yourself.

I am certainly lost that's for sure, my sister keeps trying to disown me so you wouldn't want me as a brother mate

[Gerard]

Dear John you are a treasure as you have posted a story that shows an important part of our history. You have a great memory of historical events
Pity that does not go back to the last time we won the Cup
Gerard

[--------]

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Dear John you are a treasure as you have posted a story that shows an important part of our history. You have a great memory of historical events
Pity that does not go back to the last time we won the Cup
Gerard

No, Gerard, John was there. He took his grandchildren with him.

[stu in nottingham]

Thanks Jonny, that's lovely stuff. Nice one pal.

[.Sean.]

Great read as always, Jonnyoy

I always remember the situation when I found out Smith had sadly passed away. As a lad I would always go along to my Grandfather's house before heading up to Easter Road. Yet that morning he wasn't his usual cheerful self. He was down. Really down. The reason? He had heard about Smith's tragic death.

As I mentioned previously, he is 82 years old tomorrow, yet still maintains Gordon Smith is THE best player he has EVER seen.

IIRC did he pass away the morning we played Dundee in a 4-4 draw at Easter Road?

[Haymaker]

I used to have a customer at my old work who would talk for hours with me about Gordon Smith and the famous five, still kept an interest in Hibs but he did admit he wasnt much of a football fan as after Smith left Hibs he went to watch Hearts and would travel to Dundee just to watch Smith play. Described himself as a "Gordon Smith fan" rather than football supporter.

Some of the stories were brilliant. Shame there was no television records from back then, at least the kids in the future will be able to watch Messi et al when they are long past!

[heretoday]

I worked with a guy who was a wee bit older than me and he constantly went on and on about Gordon Smith.

Of course I knew who he was but only recently have I realised how great he must have been.

[Broken Gnome]

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Great read as always, Jonnyoy

I always remember the situation when I found out Smith had sadly passed away. As a lad I would always go along to my Grandfather's house before heading up to Easter Road. Yet that morning he wasn't his usual cheerful self. He was down. Really down. The reason? He had heard about Smith's tragic death.

As I mentioned previously, he is 82 years old tomorrow, yet still maintains Gordon Smith is THE best player he has EVER seen.

IIRC did he pass away the morning we played Dundee in a 4-4 draw at Easter Road?

Seem to remember it was before the first game of the reason against Kilmarnock maybe? I didn't know until everyone lined up for the minutes silence and the PA announced it, almost certain it was Mowbray's first league game.

[.Sean.]

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Seem to remember it was before the first game of the reason against Kilmarnock maybe? I didn't know until everyone lined up for the minutes silence and the PA announced it, almost certain it was Mowbray's first league game.

I have a commemarative programme from the game I mentioned against Dundee mate. I may be wrong, but i'm pretty certain i'm right in thinking the silence was before the 4-4 match...

Perhaps somebody could enlighten us?

[Mickey Edwards]

My Dad was involved in the Hibs youth set up when it was in its infancy of being organised back in the 80s . There was a game at Newcastle and the old boot room guy down there told him that Smith was the best player he had EVER seen {some preseason game or maybe he travelled up to watch ?}. And that was from a dyed-in-the-wool Geordie whom you might imagine would be a bit possessive about his footballing gods.
My old man came back thinking "yeah, it wasn't just us" ....even the English loved him.
..you can see a wee bit of footage on the Pathe News site but most of the football's ugly and you don't get a feel for his poise and balance.

[.Sean.]

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My Dad was involved in the Hibs youth set up when it was in its infancy of being organised back in the 80s . There was a game at Newcastle and the old boot room guy down there told him that Smith was the best player he had EVER seen {some preseason game or maybe he travelled up to watch ?}. And that was from a dyed-in-the-wool Geordie whom you might imagine would be a bit possessive about his footballing gods.
My old man came back thinking "yeah, it wasn't just us" ....even the English loved him.
..you can see a wee bit of footage on the Pathe News site but most of the football's ugly and you don't get a feel for his poise and balance.

Link?

[mim]

I always have a wry smile to myself, when younger Hibbies have doubts about this man's greatness.

It's quite understandable, of course. It's as though more recent history dictates that we could never have had a world class player in the past.

Well we did - and more than one.

Stanley Matthews is probably rightly regarded as England's greatest winger. Well, Smith was better than Mathews. That's not just my view, but one held by many (Scots and English) who had the pleasure of seeing both of them in their prime.

I only saw the end of Gordon's career at Hibs, but he was able to do things that other players couldn't even imagine.

I can't remember who we were playing, but Gordon was preparing to take a corner kick from the left in front of the old North Stand. The wind was whipping down the slope from the Dunbar end. I will never forget my Dad turning to me and saying 'Watch this, he'll score from this"........and he did. Apart from making my Dad a pretty smart cookie, it made Gordon a pure genius.

Whether it was gliding down the wing controlling the ball on his head, or lashing yet another shot into the roof of the net, the man oozed class.

The world's other 'greats' haven't been goalscoring wingers (unless you regard Messi as a winger) - they have been the Pele, Maradonna, Zidane, Ronaldhino type of player.

Scotland has been blessed with other great wingers - Willie Ormond, Willie Waddell, Jimmy Johnstone and Willie Henderson to name a few, but 'The Gay Gordon' was aboon them a'.

Gordon Smith was a one-off - the world's greatest winger.

[Jonnyboy]

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My Dad told me the exactlysame. You're not my long lost brother, Sandy, are you ?

Thanks for a good read, Jonnyboy. You are a bit of a legend yourself.

Wouldn't be the first time I was called a leg end

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Dear John you are a treasure as you have posted a story that shows an important part of our history. You have a great memory of historical events

Pity that does not go back to the last time we won the Cup
Gerard

See Doddie's post

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No, Gerard, John was there. He took his grandchildren with him.

For the sake of accuracy I should point out it was my great granchildren

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Thanks Jonny, that's lovely stuff. Nice one pal.

Cheers Stu. As others have said and MIM in particular, Gordon was widely recognised both sides of the border as being a superior player to Stanley Matthews. It's one of the few times in my life I wish I was older if it had meant seeing him play

[Jonnyboy]

Just a couple of wee nuggets in testimony to how great a side Hibs were ..........

Sir Matt Busby played for Hibs during the WWll years and later said "the happiest days of my playing career were spent with Hibs”

and

Towards the end of the 1958/59 season an Arsenal scout was in the stand watching Jackie Plenderleith and sat beside him was one John Arlott, universally known as Mr. Cricket but also the Observer's chief football writer. Never missing a chance the Sunday Post reporter decided to interview Arlott and asked him for his outstanding memory of Scotland to which he replied "That wonderful Hibs forward line of Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond.”

Says it all really

[thebakerboy]

My Old Man settled in Edinburgh in 1946 and started going to see football for the first time (he came from near Aviemore) one week it was the PBS the other Gods country. It only took about half a season for him to decide that Hibs (especially The Gay Gordon) was the team to watch. At 4 years old I was taken along and that started a , so far, 59 years watching Hibs. My memories of Gordon are many but Im never sure which are mine and which stick from my Dads constant repetition . But he swore that Gordon Smith was the greatest player ever and much better than the the English Sir Stan so who am I to argue , although as you can see from my Avator another player came along for me to idolise. The other thing that struck me from this thread is how many of the greatest Hibees were really nice genuine guys. Smith , Reilly , Baker , Stanton , Sauzee , so what does that say about our club.

[Jonnyboy]

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My Old Man settled in Edinburgh in 1946 and started going to see football for the first time (he came from near Aviemore) one week it was the PBS the other Gods country. It only took about half a season for him to decide that Hibs (especially The Gay Gordon) was the team to watch. At 4 years old I was taken along and that started a , so far, 59 years watching Hibs. My memories of Gordon are many but Im never sure which are mine and which stick from my Dads constant repetition . But he swore that Gordon Smith was the greatest player ever and much better than the the English Sir Stan so who am I to argue , although as you can see from my Avator another player came along for me to idolise. The other thing that struck me from this thread is how many of the greatest Hibees were really nice genuine guys. Smith , Reilly , Baker , Stanton , Sauzee , so what does that say about our club.

Add to that Duncan, Scheadler, Gordon and many others - the Hibernian Family

[Broken Gnome]

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I have a commemarative programme from the game I mentioned against Dundee mate. I may be wrong, but i'm pretty certain i'm right in thinking the silence was before the 4-4 match...

Perhaps somebody could enlighten us?

Think the programme wouldn't have been produced until the next home game which will be the Dundee one. Not forgetting the Festival Cup tribute at Tynie.

[LHWM]

Sports coverage was restricted in newspapers during wartime and their was no report in the Scotsman and the Glasgow Herald reported the result as



GS is "Junior Centre"
BC is "Junior Inside Right"

[LHWM]

The first game Hearts played after his death as at Dundee on 7th August 2004.

The players of the last two clubs He played for paying tribute to him at the start



Hearts fans clapping after the minute's silence

[--------]

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For the sake of accuracy I should point out it was my great granchildren

Sorry, John - I was a bit farther up the terrace behind you that day, and I couldn't see the weans clearly.

Cheers Stu. As others have said and MIM in particular, Gordon was widely recognised both sides of the border as being a superior player to Stanley Matthews. It's one of the few times in my life I wish I was older if it had meant seeing him play

Absolutely.

In the early 1960's my father and a mate would leave their work in Tranent, drive up to Dundee in the mate's car, watch Gordon playing for Dundee in their Championship side, get a fish supper in Dundee, then home again. No motorways in those days, and no Road Bridge either - you either took the ferry or went by the Kincardine Bridge. They did the same for the European Cup matches the following season. It wasn't about Dundee - it was all about Gordon Smith.

Gordon was in his mid-thirties, he'd had a couple of major knee injuries, and was drawing rapidly to the end of his career, but he was still a major force in the game.