Tommy Smith

[navbasi]

One of Anfield's greatest ever players is selling his medals.

 

Tommy Smith won league titles, FA Cups, UEFA Cups and European Cups during 638 Liverpool appearances between 1960 and 1978. Now aged 66, the former centre-back has decided the time is right to find his medal collection a new home. A total of 75 lots will be auctioned later this month, with experts predicting they could fetch in the region of £120,000.

 

Smith told The Echo: "I had a wonderful career but the memories I've got are more important to me than the medals and the shirts. "I'm getting old and the money is of more use to me now than the medals. This is about me putting my family first. "It's something I've been thinking about for a long time. "I had them all packed up in the loft and then a few years ago I moved them to a bank for safe keeping. It's not as if I've been used to having my medals all out on display at home and seeing them every day.

"I hadn't seen them for about two years as they were in the bank and I just thought, 'What the hell are they doing there?'

 

"They are worth an awful lot of money but no-one is benefiting from them all just sitting there. It's not helping me and it's not helping my family. "It was absolutely brilliant to win all those medals. I had a wonderful career and everyone knows I gave everything I had for the club. "But the memories I've got are more important to me than the medals and the shirts. "I'm not skint, I don't have to do this. But I'm getting old and the money is of more use to me now than the medals.

 

"I am suffering these days with health problems linked to my football days. I've got two false knees, a false hip and a false elbow. "This way hopefully those people who buy the items will be happy and I'll be happy as well with the money generated. It's about me putting my family first. I want to ensure one day I'm able to leave them some money."

 

The auction is taking place at Bonhams in Chester on Wednesday, February 22 at 11am.

There are medals, shirts, plaques, tankards, silver salvers, glassware and signed photographs from Smith's career.

 

Smith was famously part of Liverpool's first FA Cup-winning side in 1965. His medal is expected to fetch around £10,000, with the shirt he wore at Wembley estimated at £8,000. "I was made up to win the FA Cup in 1965. As a kid I had dreamed about walking up those steps to the Royal Box," he said. "When my mother took me up to Anfield to sign for the club she told Bill Shankly, 'Liverpool have never won the Cup but with my son in the team you will.'

 

"After we won the final and I got back into the dressing room at Wembley I remember Shanks said to me, 'Your mum certainly knows a lot about football!' "To be captain when Liverpool won their first European trophy in 1973 was another proud night. That was absolutely tremendous. "Then there was the European Cup final in 1977. People always want to talk about the goal I scored in Rome. "They are the three that really stick out for me. If I was going to keep any of them then it would be those three, but I made the decision to let everything go.

 

"It's something I talked about with my son Darren and daughter Janette. I've still got plenty of photos, including ones of the medals for the four grandkids. "The medals themselves will go elsewhere but I'll always have the memories of those special days. That's enough for me."

[navbasi]

To think all his medal collection will have totalled a weeks wages for someone like Milan Jovanovic... Footballers today really need to count their blessings that they were born at the right time.

[Guest davelfc]

I'd buy them all, melt them down and have the resulting metal turned into a small statue of Emyln Hughes.

[AL66GOLF]

I'd buy them all, melt them down and have the resulting metal turned into a small statue of Emyln Hughes.

 

He he - Maybe you could also present it Tommy Smith

[WaltonRed]

I hope the club buy them for the museum

[Anubis]

I always think it's pretty sad when someone has to do something like this. I agree with WaltonRed - if the medals have to be sold, then hopefully the club will buy them.

 

I wonder if some Blueshite cunt will be asking the benefits agency what the effect of the sale is on his income.

[shanks69]

the club needs to buy the medals,a collection like this shouldn't be split up.its part of our history in the collection is an fa cup winners from our first win the same goes for medals from our 1st uefa cup win and european cup win,no matter how many times we win these cups the 1st is that bit extra special.

[WaltonRed]

Even if they go for more than 120k, say about 200-250k we should still try and get them

 

Its our heritage.

[shanks69]

Even if they go for more than 120k, say about 200-250k we should still try and get them

 

Its our heritage.

 

the way i've read it the 120k is for the whole collection,i think the club should just go for the medals and his england cap and also the match program from his debut against birmingham.let the likes of the shirts and tankards be bought by collectors.but yes we should pay wants needed for the medals otherwise they'll never be seen again.

[chauncey]

Very sad. Wonder if he'll stop charging for autographs?

[Flying Pig]

I might be going against the grain, but apart from the fact he was a great player and according to some a not very nice guy e.g. Emlyn Hughes 'cheating' comments after he died etc, he was a well paid player in relation to others 'workers' of his day and as far as I know has retired from any type of work since he left Liverpool in the late 70's. So, I ask the question; why should we pay for his future when he has already had a privileged life?

 

Basically, I'm saying in the nicest way 'tough shit' Tommy. There's a lot of men of his age who have a lot less.

 

And he also never offered to gift them to the LFC museum, but instead chose to hide them in a bank.

[VladimirIlyich]

I might be going against the grain, but apart from the fact he was a great player and according to some a not very nice guy e.g. Emlyn Hughes 'cheating' comments after he died etc, he was a well paid player in relation to others 'workers' of his day and as far as I know has retired from any type of work since he left Liverpool in the late 70's. So, I ask the question; why should we pay for his future when he has already had a privileged life?

 

Basically, I'm saying in the nicest way 'tough shit' Tommy. There's a lot of men of his age who have a lot less.

 

And he also never offered to gift them to the LFC museum, but instead chose to hide them in a bank.

 

Surely its his choice what he does with them and the money is going to come in handy for anybody other than the very well off.

 

It would be nice for the club to buy them off him and its a relatively small sum by todays standards but its a personal choice again.

 

I dont think its sad as he is comfortably off and hes not out of the news for very long so must pick up a few quid every now and then for quotes,after dinner speeches etc.

 

I too have heard that hes not a nice fella but thank him for his service.

[dickie mint]

He might need the cash to open a new ale house.

[Section_31]

I might be going against the grain, but apart from the fact he was a great player and according to some a not very nice guy e.g. Emlyn Hughes 'cheating' comments after he died etc, he was a well paid player in relation to others 'workers' of his day and as far as I know has retired from any type of work since he left Liverpool in the late 70's. So, I ask the question; why should we pay for his future when he has already had a privileged life?

 

Basically, I'm saying in the nicest way 'tough shit' Tommy. There's a lot of men of his age who have a lot less.And he also never offered to gift them to the LFC museum, but instead chose to hide them in a bank.

 

Not many who brought as much joy to as many people though, no? That's like the kind of stuff people come out with when someone famous dies on Facebook "Why are people complaining that Michael Jackson died, people die in Afghanistan every day there (sic) real heroes."

 

Whether some people like him or not (never had a problem with him myself) he's a legend and he was a cornerstone of a legendary side which won us our first European Cup, was the bedrock for everything that came after. He crippled himself playing for Liverpool football club and gave a generation of working class fans one of their best ever memories, not just in football but probably in life.

 

He deserves respect, tragic that it's come to this for him.

 

[Guest ShoePiss]

I think he deserves respect too but I don't have sympathy for any of them from a financial point of view. They were paid very, very well at the time. I'm sure read somewhere that in 1965 Hunt was getting £100 per week. That would have been a serious wedge then.

[elvis]

I might be going against the grain, but apart from the fact he was a great player and according to some a not very nice guy e.g. Emlyn Hughes 'cheating' comments after he died etc, he was a well paid player in relation to others 'workers' of his day and as far as I know has retired from any type of work since he left Liverpool in the late 70's. So, I ask the question; why should we pay for his future when he has already had a privileged life?

 

Basically, I'm saying in the nicest way 'tough shit' Tommy. There's a lot of men of his age who have a lot less.

 

And he also never offered to gift them to the LFC museum, but instead chose to hide them in a bank.

 

Good post Piggy , he was a good footballer for us , thats not up for debate- but I for one will not be feeling sorry for him .

He was fortunate enough to play for the greatest football club in the land many times , and enjoyed great success .

He had a great working life that many a pensioner would give their right arm to call their own, and still he was a bigoted spiteful sod.

If anyone thinks of this as a tragic state of affairs , then they need to get out more.

[elvis]

Not many who brought as much joy to as many people though, no? That's like the kind of stuff people come out with when someone famous dies on Facebook "Why are people complaining that Michael Jackson died, people die in Afghanistan every day there (sic) real heroes."

 

Whether some people like him or not (never had a problem with him myself) he's a legend and he was a cornerstone of a legendary side which won us our first European Cup, was the bedrock for everything that came after. He crippled himself playing for Liverpool football club and gave a generation of working class fans one of their best ever memories, not just in football but probably in life.

 

He deserves respect, tragic that it's come to this for him.

 

 

No disrespect , but why is it tragic ?

[gkmacca]

I hope the club buy them for the museum

 

Hear hear!

[s(k)aturation]

So because he was "better paid" than others, and anecdotally a prickly person, we don't feel for him?

Fuck, we can be a miserable lot sometimes.

[Section_31]

So because he was "better paid" than others, and anecdotally a prickly person, we don't feel for him?

Fuck, we can be a miserable lot sometimes.

 

I know.

 

I read somewhere that the average wage of a footy player back then was twice that of an industrial worker, which is fuck all considering what they brought to so many people's lives, and was probably very little compared to what other comparable entertainers were earning, the likes of popular singers etc. Even being on a wage like that, it's still not enough to retire on unless you were very, very canny with your money and invested in a business (didn't Aldo own a flooring business or some shit?), they had ten year careers, earning the equivelant of 600 quid a week for ten years is less than earning 300 a week for 45.

[WaltonRed]

Phil Thompson had DIY shops for fucks sakes.

 

Tommy Smith is a true Liverpool legend and I hope he club gets these medals for future generations to see and learn about him.

 

as section said, he crippled himself for this club. For fucks sake I despair sometimes

[G Richards]

Tommy Smith has his memories and what he achieved in the game can never be taken away. He will soon have some more cash to go with his memories. I'd like to see the club buy the medals for the museum, but that could potentially set a precedent so it would need careful thought.

[RobbieOR]

I think most peoples mind is made up because of the way he bad talked Hughes after he died.

 

Regardless of whether he done that, he played for Liverpool Football Club. Since when did we stop looking after our own? Especially those who gave so much to the club.

[WaltonRed]

I've no time for him as a person due to the Emlyn stuff and his racist thoughts in the past but for me as a player we should have them medals in our collection

[Guest davelfc]

Yes the club should have the medals for the museum, a great player and those medals represent the player he was and the fantastic team he played in.

 

Nothing he has done since can take away the achievements of himself and that team.