Tom Forsyth facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Forsyth | ||
| Date of birth | 23 January 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 14 August 2020 (aged 71) | ||
| Place of death | Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| Stonehouse Violet | |||
| 1967–1972 | Motherwell | 150 | (17) |
| 1972–1982 | Rangers | 218 | (2) |
| Total | 368 | (19) | |
| National team | |||
| 1971 | Scotland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1971–1976 | Scottish League XI | 2 | (0) |
| 1971–1978 | Scotland | 22 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1982–1983 | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
|
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Thomas Forsyth (born January 23, 1949 – died August 14, 2020) was a Scottish football player and coach. He was known for being a strong defender. Tom Forsyth played for important teams like Motherwell and Rangers. He also proudly represented his country, Scotland.
Contents
Tom Forsyth's Football Journey
Playing for Clubs
Tom Forsyth started his football career at a junior club called Stonehouse Violet. After that, he joined Motherwell. He played for Motherwell for five years, appearing in over 200 games.
In October 1972, Tom joined Rangers, a very famous Scottish team. He became a hero for Rangers when he scored the winning goal in the 1973 Scottish Cup Final. This was a huge game against their big rivals, Celtic.
During his time at Rangers, Tom played in 332 matches. He helped the team win many trophies. These included three league championships, four Scottish Cups, and two Scottish League Cups. He was part of two amazing seasons where Rangers won three major trophies in one year! These were in 1975–76 and 1977–78.
Playing for Scotland
Tom Forsyth also played for the Scottish national team 22 times. He even got to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world. In 1976, he had the special honor of being the captain for Scotland in a game against Switzerland.
Tom Forsyth as a Coach
Managing Dunfermline Athletic
After he stopped playing, Tom Forsyth became a manager. In 1982, he took charge of Dunfermline Athletic. However, he only stayed in that role for about a year. His assistant, Jim Leishman, explained that Tom was used to full-time football, where players train every day. But Dunfermline was a part-time club, meaning players had other jobs. This difference made it hard for Tom to continue.
Assistant Manager Roles
After leaving Dunfermline, Tom became an assistant manager. He worked with his former Rangers teammate, Tommy McLean. First, they were at Morton in 1983. Then, they moved to Motherwell in 1984. Later, in 1994, they worked together at Hearts.
Tom Forsyth passed away peacefully at home on August 14, 2020, when he was 71 years old.
See also
- List of Scotland national football team captains
