Bobby Smith (footballer, born 1933)
A bruising, barrel-chested center-forward whose physical power and clinical finishing fired Tottenham Hotspur to the Double in 1961.
1933–2010 (age 77)·English footballer·Birthday: February 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bobby Smith was the archetypal English number nine of the post-war era, a striker who combined formidable strength with a natural goal-scorer's instinct. Starting at Chelsea, he truly flourished after his move to Tottenham Hotspur, forming a devastating partnership with Jimmy Greaves. Smith was the battering ram to Greaves's rapier, using his physique to hold up play and bully defenders, creating space and chances for himself and others. His peak came in the 1960-61 season, where his 28 league goals were instrumental in Spurs securing the First Division and FA Cup double, a historic achievement at the time. Though his England career was brief, his impact at White Hart Lane was indelible; for a period, he was the club's record goal-scorer, a testament to his consistent and crucial contributions to one of English football's greatest sides.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bobby was born in 1933, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1946Became a teenager
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Could drive
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2010Died at 77
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Won the League and FA Cup Double with Tottenham Hotspur in the 1960-61 season, scoring in the FA Cup final.
- Finished as the First Division's top scorer in the 1957-58 season with 36 goals for Chelsea.
- Scored 208 goals for Tottenham Hotspur, making him the club's third-highest goal scorer of all time.
- Earned 15 caps for England, scoring 13 goals, including a hat-trick against Northern Ireland in 1958.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a coal miner while playing part-time for local clubs.
Smith was known for his distinctive bald head, which made him a recognizable figure on the pitch.
After leaving Spurs, he had a stint as player-manager for non-league club Hastings United.
“A centre-forward's job is to put the ball in the net, and I did that.”
