Tom Forsyth

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tom Forsyth

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1949|1|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|8|14|1949|1|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

| height = {{height|m=1.83}}{{cite web | url=http://www.worldfootball.net/spieler_profil/tom-forsyth/ | title=Tom Forsyth }}

| position = Centre back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 =

| years2 = 1967–1972

| years3 = 1972–1982

| clubs1 = Stonehouse Violet

| clubs2 = Motherwell

| clubs3 = Rangers

| caps2 = 150

| caps3 = 218

| totalcaps = 368

| goals2 = 17

| goals3= 2

| totalgoals = 19

| nationalteam1 = Scotland U23

| nationalyears1 = 1971[http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu23/player.php?playerid=173 (Scotland U23 player) Forsyth, Tom], FitbaStats

|nationalcaps1= 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalteam2 = Scottish League XI

| nationalyears2 = 1971–1976[https://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/thomasforsyth.html (SFL player) Thomas Forsyth], London Hearts Supporters Club

|nationalcaps2= 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalteam3 = Scotland

| nationalyears3= 1971–1978

|nationalcaps3= 22 | nationalgoals3 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1982–1983

| managerclubs1 = Dunfermline Athletic

}}

Thomas Forsyth (23 January 1949 – 14 August 2020) was a Scottish football player and coach. Forsyth played as a defender for Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland.

Playing career

=Club=

Forsyth started his career at junior club Stonehouse Violet, then spent five years at Motherwell, playing over 200 times for the club[http://www.motherwellnet.com/database/player-archive/f/tom-forsyth/ Tom Forsyth], MotherWELLnet before being signed by Rangers in October 1972. He scored the winning goal in the 1973 Scottish Cup Final against Old Firm rivals Celtic from six inches.{{cite news |last=Murray |first=Ewan |url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sosgreatesteverscottishcupmatch/Cup-classics-pick-out-the.3343814.jp |title=Cup classics: pick out the all-time best |work=Scotland on Sunday |date=4 February 2007 |access-date=14 December 2008 |archive-date=9 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609030315/http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sosgreatesteverscottishcupmatch/Cup-classics-pick-out-the.3343814.jp |url-status=dead }}

During his Rangers career, Forsyth made 332 appearances in all competitions and won three league championships, four Scottish Cups and two League Cups; these successes included two domestic trebles, in 1975–76 and 1977–78.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53787532 |title=Tom Forsyth: Former Motherwell, Rangers & Scotland defender dies at age 71 |publisher=BBC Sport|date=14 August 2020 |access-date=15 August 2020}}[http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1422 (Rangers player) Forsyth, Tom], FitbaStats

=International=

Forsyth played 22 times for Scotland, including at the 1978 World Cup. He captained Scotland once, against Switzerland in 1976.[http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/match_details.cfm?matchid=57602 Scotland v Switzerland], Scottish Football Association.

Managerial career

After his playing retirement, Forsyth was appointed manager of Dunfermline Athletic in 1982, although he relinquished the position within a year. According to his assistant and successor Jim Leishman, Forsyth left his role as Dunfermline manager due to frustration with the club's part-time status: "I think the problem when Tam came to Dunfermline was that he was geared for full-time football at the time, and Dunfermline were part-time. The players would come in and Tam wanted that much on the Tuesday and the Thursday I think he forgot that these guys were part-time."{{cite news |last1=Hart |first1=Ross |title=Jim Leishman remembers ex-Dunfermline manager Tom Forsyth |url=https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/sport/18668694.leish-pays-tribute-gentleman-former-pars-boss-forsyth/ |access-date=9 January 2021 |publisher=Dunfermline Press |date=22 August 2020}} He then accepted a position as assistant-manager to former Rangers team-mate Tommy McLean at Morton in 1983. Forsyth was appointed McLean's assistant at Motherwell then Hearts when McLean moved to these clubs in 1984 and 1994 respectively.

On 14 August 2020, Forsyth died peacefully at home with his family by his side, at the age of 71.{{cite news|title=Tom Forsyth: Former Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland defender dies aged 71|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/12049624/tom-forsyth-former-motherwell-rangers-and-scotland-defender-dies-aged-71|work=Sky Sports News|publisher=Sky|date=14 August 2020}}