Bobby Smith

Robert Alfred Smith (22 February 1933 – 18 September 2010) was an English centre-forward who played for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, and England. He topped the First Division scoring charts in 1957–58 and remains Tottenham’s third-highest goal scorer, with 208 goals.

Born in Lingdale, North Riding of Yorkshire, Smith began as a full-back at Redcar Boys’ Club before Chelsea spotted him. He turned professional with the London club in 1950, scoring 23 league goals in 74 appearances and seven FA Cup goals in 12 outings. Though part of Chelsea’s 1954–55 First Division title-winning squad, he made only four appearances that season. In December 1955, Tottenham paid £18,000 for his transfer.

At Spurs, Smith became a key figure in Bill Nicholson’s 1960–61 double-winning side. That season he was the team’s top scorer with 33 goals in 43 games, netting the first goal in the 1961 FA Cup Final. He also scored in the 1962 FA Cup Final as Spurs retained the trophy, and helped the club win the 1963 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. Across 317 senior matches for Tottenham, he recorded 12 hat-tricks and ranks third on the all-time scoring list behind Harry Kane and Jimmy Greaves.

Smith moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1964, scoring 19 goals in 31 appearances over one season.

Internationally, he earned 15 caps for England between 1960 and 1963, scoring 13 goals—including two in the 9–3 win over Scotland at Wembley in 1961.

After retiring, Smith published Memories of Spurs in 2002, with a foreword by Jimmy Greaves. He died on 18 September 2010 after a short illness at a hospital in Enfield, London.

His honours include the First Division title (1960–61), FA Cup (1960–61, 1961–62), FA Charity Shield (1961, 1962), and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1962–63) with Tottenham, plus the Fourth Division title (1964–65) with Brighton.