Montford memories: The elusive Gordon Smith was hard to pin down both on and off a football pitch

IN A lifetime spent in the wonderful world of sport, I can look back not just on the stories I have covered, but on some of the descriptions I've used in print, on radio and on television to describe a huge variety of outstanding sportsmen.

I've described the Morton goalkeeper Jimmy Cowan as "courageous". Lawrie Reilly was always "bustling", Willie Bauld "deadly," Jim Baxter undoubtedly "classy", Willie Miller "inspiring", Denis Law "quicksilver" Jimmy Johnstone "brilliant," Andy Irvine on his day "dominant," Ken Buchanan and Jim Watt simply "great champions," and so on. There is, however, only one adjective to describe the only footballer who never gave me an interview - the elegant Gordon Smith of Hibernian, Hearts and Dundee. And that word has to be "elusive".

Smith's career is one of the most remarkable in the history of Scottish football. He joined Hibs from Dundee North End in 1941 and played with them for 18 years. Tommy Wright, keeper of all things statistical concerning the Easter Road club, reckons that during his time at Hibs he played just over 700 games and scored an astonishing 364 goals. "Wartime records, as for most clubs, are hard to track down, but I've reached those figures taking in friendlies, benefit games, exhibition matches and so on. Gordon Smith's career was a truly remarkable one."

Gordon Smith was a key figure in the Hibs side which won the League Championship three times in five years in the years which followed World War II. Having won the title in 1948 they were pipped on goal average by Rangers' treble winning side the following year, but in a side skilfully managed by Hugh Shaw won back-to-back championships in 1951 and 1952.

Although competing for the No7 Scottish jersey with Willie Waddell (17 caps) Smith nevertheless played for Scotland 18 times, occasionally at outside left, and captained the side twice in 1955 against Hungary and Austria scoring in both games.

But in the summer of 1959 it looked as if it was all coming to in end for Smith. He had been troubled on and off with an ankle injury and when he told his bosses at Easter Road that he felt sure an operation would solve the problem, the answer was "no." He was given a free transfer and amidst much discussion in the capital he paid for the operation himself and then signed for Hearts. Before the year was out he won a League Cup medal when Hearts beat Third Lanark 2-1 in the Hampden final.

Scotsport was only two years old when this shock transfer took place, but try as we might, we couldn't get him to talk to us about it. I don't think he was being difficult; he was just plain modest but always polite.

Under Tommy Walker, Gordon Smith played 60 games for Hearts and won a League Championship medal in 1960. But far from ending his football career in Edinburgh, he was given the OK by Hearts in the summer of 1961 to talk to Bob Shankly, the manager of Dundee. He duly signed on at Dens Park and went on to play an amazing 97 times for his new boss: 70 League games, 12 in the League Cup, six Scottish Cup ties and, even more remarkably, eight European Cup ties.

At the end of season 1961-62 Dundee won their last seven straight league matches, finishing with a 3-0 win at the old Muirton Park against St Johnstone to clinch the championship. Between August and April, Smith missed only four games and thus became the first Scottish footballer to win three championship medals with three different clubs.

I did the commentary that day in Perth and thought that surely this time Gordon would give us an interview. Alas, he was out of the dressing room and on to the bus before you could say "cue interview!" He played on until the end of season 63-64 before retiring aged 38.