Bobby Smith (footballer, born 1953)

{{short description|Scottish footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bobby Smith

| image =

| fullname = Robert Nisbet Smith{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/bobby-smith-footballer-1.1011171 |first=Robert |last=McElroy |work=The Herald |date=4 March 2010 |accessdate=5 March 2010 |title=Bobby Smith; Footballer |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404113208/http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/obituaries/bobby-smith-footballer-1.1011171 |archivedate=4 April 2015}}{{Hugman|18412|accessdate=13 April 2020}}

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=7}}{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/210 210] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/210}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1953|12|21}}

| birth_place = Dalkeith, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2010|2|22|1953|12|21}}

| death_place = Edinburgh, Scotland

| position = Left back, Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Musselburgh Windsor

| years1 = 1972–1978

| years2 = 1978–1986

| years3 = 1982

| years4 = 1982

| years5 = 1986–1987

| years6 = 1987–1989

| years7 = 1989–1990

| years8 = 1990–1991

| clubs1 = Hibernian

| clubs2 = Leicester City

| clubs3 = → Peterborough United (loan)

| clubs4 = → Hibernian (loan)

| clubs5 = Hibernian

| clubs6 = Dunfermline Athletic

| clubs7 = Partick Thistle

| clubs8 = Berwick Rangers

| caps1 = 152 | goals1 = 19

| caps2 = 181 | goals2 = 21

| caps3 = 5 | goals3 = 0

| caps4 = 5 | goals4 = 0

| caps5 = 10 | goals5 = 0

| caps6 = 66 | goals6 = 1

| caps7 = 30 | goals7 = 1

| caps8 = 26 | goals8 = 0

| totalcaps = 475 | totalgoals = 42

}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/20100223/bobby-smith_2262950_1974388 |title=Bobby Smith |work=Hibernian F.C. |date=23 February 2010 |accessdate=23 February 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100226180416/http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/20100223/bobby-smith_2262950_1974388 |archivedate=26 February 2010}} Smith made 200 appearances in all competitions for both Hibs and Leicester.

Smith started his professional career with Hibs, where he played a part in the successful teams of the early and mid-1970s. Smith attracted the attention of Rangers manager Jock Wallace by scoring a spectacular goal for Hibs against Rangers in a 1976 match. Wallace became Leicester City manager in 1978, and signed Smith for an £85,000 transfer fee later that year. Smith helped Leicester win promotion to the top division twice during his spell with the club. He regularly captained Leicester during his eight years there.{{Cite web|url=http://cards.littleoak.com.au/rip_notices/rip_2010.html|title=Nigel's WebSpace - English Football Cards, Player death notices}}

He was loaned to Peterborough and Hibs during the 1982–83 season, and then returned to Hibs on a "permanent" basis in 1986. 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, but was released at the end of that season.

After ending his career with spells at Partick Thistle and Berwick Rangers, Smith became a taxi driver,{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article717317.ece |title=Caught in Time: Dunfermline win the First Division, 1989 |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=22 January 2006 |first=Neil |last=White |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918113655/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article717317.ece |archivedate=18 September 2011}} and later ran a pub in Dalkeith called Smith's Bar. He died in February 2010 after suffering from cancer, less than a week after former teammate Alan Gordon died from the same illness.{{cite web |url=http://www.hibernian-mad.co.uk/roll/ed11/hibees_great_bobby_smith_passes_away_19532010_499254/index.shtml |title=Hibees great Bobby Smith passes away (1953–2010) |work=Hibernian Mad |date=23 February 2010 |last=Hine |first=Brian |accessdate=23 February 2010}}