Tom Forsyth

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For other people named Tom Forsyth, see Thomas Forsyth (disambiguation).

Tom Forsyth
Personal information
Full name Thomas Forsyth
Date of birth (1949-01-23)23 January 1949
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Date of death 14 August 2020(2020-08-14) (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]

  1. ^ "Tom Forsyth".
  2. ^ (Scotland U23 player) Forsyth, Tom, FitbaStats
  3. ^ (SFL player) Thomas Forsyth, London Hearts Supporters Club
  4. ^ Tom Forsyth, MotherWELLnet
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ (Rangers player) Forsyth, Tom, FitbaStats
  8. ^ Scotland v Switzerland, Scottish Football Association.
  9. ^ Hart, Ross (22 August 2020). "Jim Leishman remembers ex-Dunfermline manager Tom Forsyth". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Tom Forsyth: Former Motherwell, Rangers and Scotland defender dies aged 71". Sky Sports News. Sky. 14 August 2020.

External links[edit]

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