How good was Dave Smith??

Met him in Bar72 last season, before the first game against Separate Entity FC.
He sat and chatted to my 25 year old son about the current team for 30 mins

Absolute gent
 
F ucking majestic.
He used to nick the ball from the opposition and stride away to supply the midfield and forwards. It was beautiful to watch.
I remember back in the 1960s one of my (sadly now departed) pals saying Dave Smith was the only Rangers player at that time who could nick the ball from Jimmy Johnstone without flattening him.

As mentioned above Dave was class both on and off the park.
 
His attitude was his greatest gift. Every game was just another game. Against Arbroath or be it Bayern Dave just done his thing. Baller.
 
Very, very good.

One of the calmest players I've seen.

Always thinking and in the right place.
 
We had the pleasure of Derek Johnstone’s company on Saturday night at our club function and he named Dave as the best defender he played with. That’s a great accolade considering all the players DJ would have played with.
 
More suited to European games, where he shone, rather than the hustle and bustle of the Scottish league.

Jock Wallace usually had him as substitute from 73 onwards.
 
Watched Rangers 72 earlier on prime and Dave Smith is very prominent throughout the film

im too young to have seen him play and there isnt much footage of him from that era except from that ECWC win

any older Bears have any more stories/opinions on him?
Coming to the end of his career as I became aware of the game, I couldn’t say for sure.
However, looking back to when my dad and the uncles would discuss the worlds problems for five minutes then football for the rest of the weekend, I’ll put it this way.
All these guys were brought up with the famous “Ritchie, Shearer, Caldow…” legend and common consensus was that Smith was the only player from the late sixties, early seventies, that might have got a game in that era.
 
Two more things about him -

In a Ne'erday game at Parkhead (I think possibly 1970?) Celtic were a very successful team at the time, and the game had to be played on a rock hard pitch, due to the freezing conditions. Although the game finished 0-0, Dave Smith, wearing trainers, absolutely ran the show that day - a true virtuoso performance.

The other story makes me sad. He was summarising a Rangers game on rangerstv, roughly 8 years ago, and he remarked that he didn't think Ian Black was Rangers class (an opinion many of us shared) but he was never asked back. I thought this was shameful on the part of the Club.
 
When we signed Davie Smith he had the hardest gig in football - filling Jim Baxter's boots. He went about the task with determination, skill & class and the previous posts on this thread are testament to how well Davie did that job. I know it's another what if but if Forrest had not been dumped after Berwick or had Willoughby been picked that night in Nuremburg we may well have won the first of several European trophies in that 5-6 year spell with Davie as the orchestrator. How good was Davie Smith, he was THAT good.
 
When we signed Davie Smith he had the hardest gig in football - filling Jim Baxter's boots. He went about the task with determination, skill & class and the previous posts on this thread are testament to how well Davie did that job. I know it's another what if but if Forrest had not been dumped after Berwick or had Willoughby been picked that night in Nuremburg we may well have won the first of several European trophies in that 5-6 year spell with Davie as the orchestrator. How good was Davie Smith, he was THAT good.

I totally agree with this post. I don’t think Davie Smith got the recognition his talent and skill deserved and I believe that was simply because he followed on from Jim Baxter. He was a superb player in his own right and I’m still at a loss as to why he didn’t feature as a regular in the Scotland team.
 
Absolute Rolls Royce of a footballer.
Always had time and space.
Met him a couple of times, real nice guy, loved that I recognised him and knew it was his birthday.
 
My dad said there was a hint of Baxter about him. So calm and classy on the ball.
Most of what people have said already kinda covers him I think, but the old man really loved Smith’s style. A proper footballer.
Are we brothers? My old man says exactly the same thing.

Baxter was his hero, but he said Smith was a more than adequate replacement.
 
Youngsters on here probably won’t know that Dave Smith became a sweeper centre-back by accident. In September 1967 big Davie Provan broke his leg against Celtic when Bertie Auld came in very late and went over the ball, catching Davie’s shin with the sole of his boot. Greig was playing beside McKinnon at centre-back but he went to left-back and Davie Smith was brought from left midfield to sweeper. Willie Johnston came on as substitute. We all thought the worst as Davie could not tackle and never got involved physically. He never broke sweat and looked every inch the classic sweeper, reading the game, intercepting through passes and playing the ball out to feet. He was not the fastest player but playing so deep gave him extra time to weigh up situations. Incidentally, he was in line to play against England at Hampden in 1970 but broke his leg at Kilmarnock shortly before.
 
Classy cultured left peg, one goal that stands out in my memory was when he set up Jardines rocket shot in the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in 67.
 
My dad said that he was the best player he ever watched in a Rangers top.
Was surprised at that as he watched the team throughout the 60's and I did expect him to choose Baxter.
 
Never seen him play but the clips he’s seen in during the documentary he looks cool calm and very composed with a wand of a left foot
 
Very jealous of those on here that were lucky enough to see him play. It seems from the comments he was a footballer who was ahead of his time and played football with great vision.
 
Would like to get him down to our RSC for a drink one nights seems very humble and comes across the best in that documentary my book
 
There will only ever be one Jim Baxter.
Dave was probably our nearest that played in the same position, he was a fantastic player that does not get the recognition that he deserved.
We were dreading Baxter leaving,we shouldn’t have bothered.Big Dave stepped in,and cruised.
 
Some player and had the privilege to sit with him at the semi final. He was kind and engaging with my 8 year old boy, keen to share the stories. Legend.
 
We won our only European trophy with Dave Smith in the side.
The truth is, we wouldn't have won it without him.

He was a player who probably should have been born on the continent during that particular era because he was a decade or two ahead of the British game.

One of the most intelligent players that ever kicked a ball at Ibrox.
A remarkable footballer who was underestimated back then because most British coaches/critics were only beginning to comprehend the changes that were happening in football.
Was going to post my memories of Big Dave but you have summed it up perfectly mate!spot on
 
He was brilliant…..cool, calm, great vision and strolled through games. Like having a Jim Baxter at the back….each had a really cultured left foot.
 
Started going to Ibrox mid to late sixties when i say dave smith is my all time favourite i get some quizzical looks.


So glad to see this thread and give the man some of the well deserved praise he well deserves
He was a quality player. Initially when we signed him and Alex Smith, I think he was played out of position. When played as sweeper he was a cool and composed player, always at least a 7/10.
Met him in a lounge at Ibrox some years ago, I knew it was his birthday and wished him all the best and we shook hands lovely guy who continues to Follow Follow.
 
He was a quality player. Initially when we signed him and Alex Smith, I think he was played out of position. When played as sweeper he was a cool and composed player, always at least a 7/10.
Met him in a lounge at Ibrox some years ago, I knew it was his birthday and wished him all the best and we shook hands lovely guy who continues to Follow Follow.
He played in midfield.
He was actually very good in midfield, but it was difficult for him as he was immediately compared to Baxter, which by the way was a good comparison as they both had that composed controlled style with an array of accurate passing.
I seem to recall that in the 1967 final against Bayern Dave had a fine game and was instrumental in Rangers probably having the better of the outfield play despite the final score.

The problem for Dave is that he was born in the wrong country.
The British preferred a combatative type player, such as Bremner, Greig, or Alan Ball in the middle of the park rather than a constructive composed thinking sort.
Had Dave been Italian or Spanish he would have gained far more international caps of that I am certain.
 
Watched Rangers 72 earlier on prime and Dave Smith is very prominent throughout the film

im too young to have seen him play and there isnt much footage of him from that era except from that ECWC win

any older Bears have any more stories/opinions on him?
He was a brilliant player very skillful and mentored big DJ in the final. He has a book out makes a good read.
 
Wonderful player, so controlled in his play and managed the midfield play impeccably. His playing style was based on anticipation and he seemed to sense what an opposition player was going to do before the opponent himself knew. He would be a stand out player in any era. A genuinely classy player and person.
 
There are players who seem to go under the radar a little when you think about greats from the past.

Dave Smith falls into that bracket. For me, the reason he does not get mentioned with the likes of Greig and Henderson is that he never did anything to make him stand out in individual games. I mean that as a compliment. What he did was not spectacular, but if you ask any footballer who played in that era, they would tell you just how effective he was.

He was always in the right position, he always picked the right pass, and he cruised through games without drawing attention to himself. I like players who are clever and use their brains to enhance their footballing ability, Dave Smith was up there with the best of them.
 
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