Tom_Forsyth
Tom Forsyth
Scottish footballer and coach (1949–2020)
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.
| 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 | |||
Club
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
Forsyth played 22 times for Scotland, including at the 1978 World Cup.[6] He captained Scotland once, against Switzerland in 1976.[8]
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]
- (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.
- "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
- 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.
- Tom Forsyth at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
- Tom Forsyth at the Scottish Football Association
