Tommy Smith

Anyone here read the book and can shed some light on the last paragraph?

Cheers, Alex.

Guardian

Tommy Smith: cheat?

The Knowledge has opened the floor to questions from all sports. Send

Sean Ingle and Scott Murray Wednesday August 22, 2001

"Can you confirm that the self-proclaimed professionally retired hard man Tommy Smith was once booked, charged by Uefa and subsequently suspended for a number of European games for an offence amounting to cheating, namely feigning an injury? I have been told it may have been about the early 70s against Ferencvaros. I know it can't possibly be true and we have written to Tommy many times asking him to deny it, without success. Can you buttist?" asks Pat Kevin Crosby

You've basically answered your own question, Pat. The incident you refer to happened during Liverpool's Cup-winner's Cup run in the 1974-5 season, Bob Paisley's first in charge.

Having dispatched Stromsgodset of Norway 12-0 over two legs, clocking up a club-record 11-0 victory in one of them, the campaign was going well. And things looked even better in the next round when Kevin Keegan gave the Reds an early first-leg lead at Anfield against Ferencvaros.

However, Mate Fenyvesi scored a last-minute equaliser to totally knacker the plans of Paisley's men, who failed to come up with an away goal in the return leg.

Insult was added to feigned injury when Tommy Smith went down near the end, pretending to have been clocked by a missile which was chucked onto the pitch. Yellow card and European ban ahoy!

By the way, Pat, if you want some really eye-opening stuff about Mr Smith, we suggest you purchase a copy of Dave Hill's book about John Barnes's arrival on Merseyside, Out Of His Skin.