Tom Forsyth
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 23 January 1949 | ||
Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
Date of death | 14 August 2020 | (aged 71)||
Place of death | Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Centre back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Stonehouse Violet | |||
1967–1972 | Motherwell | 150 | (17) |
1972–1982 | Rangers | 218 | (2) |
Total | 368 | (19) | |
International career | |||
1971[2] | Scotland U23 | 1 | (0) |
1971–1976[3] | Scottish League XI | 2 | (0) |
1971–1978 | Scotland | 22 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1982–1983 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
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
[edit]Club
[edit]Forsyth started his career at junior club Stonehouse Violet, then spent five years at Motherwell, playing over 200 times for the club[4] 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.[5]
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.[6][7]
International
[edit]Forsyth played 22 times for Scotland, including at the 1978 World Cup.[6] He captained Scotland once, against Switzerland in 1976.[8]
Managerial career
[edit]After his playing retirement, Forsyth was appointed manager of Dunfermline Athletic in 1982, although he relinquished the position within a year.[6] 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."[9] He then accepted a position as assistant-manager to former Rangers team-mate Tommy McLean at Morton in 1983.[6] Forsyth was appointed McLean's assistant at Motherwell then Hearts when McLean moved to these clubs in 1984 and 1994 respectively.[6]
On 14 August 2020, Forsyth died peacefully at home with his family by his side, at the age of 71.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Tom Forsyth".
- ^ (Scotland U23 player) Forsyth, Tom, FitbaStats
- ^ (SFL player) Thomas Forsyth, London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ Tom Forsyth, MotherWELLnet
- ^ Murray, Ewan (4 February 2007). "Cup classics: pick out the all-time best". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Tom Forsyth: Former Motherwell, Rangers & Scotland defender dies at age 71". BBC Sport. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ (Rangers player) Forsyth, Tom, FitbaStats
- ^ Scotland v Switzerland, Scottish Football Association.
- ^ Hart, Ross (22 August 2020). "Jim Leishman remembers ex-Dunfermline manager Tom Forsyth". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Tom Forsyth: Former Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland defender dies aged 71". Sky Sports News. Sky. 14 August 2020.
External links
[edit]- Tom Forsyth at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Tom Forsyth at the Scottish Football Association
- 1949 births
- 2020 deaths
- Footballers from Glasgow
- Scottish men's footballers
- Scottish football managers
- Motherwell F.C. players
- Motherwell F.C. non-playing staff
- Scottish Junior Football Association players
- Stonehouse Violet F.C. players
- Rangers F.C. players
- Dunfermline Athletic F.C. managers
- Scotland men's international footballers
- 1978 FIFA World Cup players
- Greenock Morton F.C. non-playing staff
- Scottish Football League players
- Scottish Football League representative players
- Men's association football central defenders
- Association football coaches
- Scotland men's under-23 international footballers
- Scottish Football League managers
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. non-playing staff