RIP Tommy Smith. I saw Tommy play several times over the years and almost always wished he wasn’t playing. Especially on this day:
http://tinyurl.com/y6n2bcgb
I was on leave from Germany for this match, enjoyed it apart from the scoreline!
Tommy was the player that every manager wants in his team: could play anywhere and always gave 100%. Tackled like a demon, passes were almost always accurate, thunderbolt of a shot. There are very few players like that nowadays: known as “The Anfield Iron” by Liverpool supporters and always remembered by the older fans, recorded in a song by Roger McGough, poet, writer and lead singer of The Scaffold group. “Thank you very much for the Anfield Iron, thank you very much.”
Born a month after me in April 1945. Great shame that Alzheimers took him, as so many older players heading those old leather balls. I still wince at the memory of heading them, myself.
Steve will like this one: interesting that Larry Lloyd was playing for Liverpool that day. Later of course, he was part of the Forest team that won two European Cups. Ain’t football a Funny Old Game?
When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.
.
