Glasgow Rangers star Dave Smith celebrated in new book

The Road to Barcelona: The Glory of 72 and My Life in Football is about his dad, Rangers legend Dave Smith, who is now 79.

Dave Smith, 1971-72 (Image: Newsquest)

“It feels a little like things have come full circle,” explains Paul, smiling.

“My first book was To Barcelona and Beyond, which was a collection of stories about all 11 of the players in the team which won the Cup Winners’ Cup 50 years ago.

“Now this book has taken me back there - although this time, it is solely about my dad.”

During Book Week Scotland, Paul and Dave will be at Ibrox Library for a special event on Thursday, November 17. This year’s Book Week Scotland programme, which runs until November 20, is themed around “Scotland’s Stories”, as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

This particular story, says Paul, starts and ends in Barcelona, where Rangers, under manager Willie Waddell, beat Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in the Cup Winners’ Cup final in Camp Nou in May 1972.

Dressing room celebrations after the win. (Image: Newsquest)

The heroes of that night became known as the Barcelona Bears and a raft of events have been taking place this year to mark the 50th anniversary.

Writing this book has been unlike any of his other projects, explains Paul.

“It was very different, particularly in the research stages – I’ve grown up hearing these stories, I knew so much about them already,” he explains.

“But sitting down with my dad and going through it more methodically, did feel strange. For him too. New things came out of the process, memories were sparked about things he had perhaps forgotten, and that gave it a freshness.”

Dave in training. (Image: Newsquest)

Paul adds: “Luckily, my dad’s parents were absolutely meticulous in their record keeping, so they had scrapbooks full of photos and newspaper clippings all about his exploits, and it was easy to refer to those, to spark different memories in him, not just from Rangers, but his early days at Aberdeen, and stories about Real Madrid, Liverpool – it was really interesting and a lot of fun.”

Paul was born in 1978, six years after the final, but he grew up knowing a bit about his dad’s illustrious career. Dave initially played for Aberdeen and moved to Rangers in August 1966 for a fee of £50,000, a huge deal at the time.

Paul Smith (Image: Paul Smith)

“His brother Jim was a huge Rangers fan, and my dad always promised he would play for them one day,” says Paul, “Jim died, and my dad was determined to keep his promise, so he signed for Ibrox.”

Dave, who now lives in Aberdeenshire with his wife, Sheila, made more than 300 appearances with Rangers, winning the Scottish League Cup in 1971, the Scottish Cup in 1973 and, of course, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. That year, he was voted the Scottish Football Writers' Association's Player of the Year. He also played in England, and in America.

“To be honest, we didn’t think a lot about my dad’s football, it was just what he did,” says Paul, who is married to Coral, and has three children, Finlay, 18, Mia, 15, and Zara, 11.

“I played a bit, and went to the games with my dad, but he wasn’t a pushy parent at all, he was quite relaxed about whether we played or not.

“Both of my dad’s brothers Doug and Hughie were footballers too – for the family, it was like their trade, like other families would be joiners or accountants.”

Paul adds: “My dad wasn’t really interested in who won or lost a game, he was always more concerned about football being played the right way – and that meant with grace and style, keeping the ball on the pitch.

“It didn’t matter if he was playing in front of 70,000 supporters, or kicking a ball about on a playing field with his friends, he always felt the same and it’s one of the things he finds frustrating about watching today’s footballers.

“That maybe sounds idealistic, but I find it inspiring.”

While the book may begin and end in Barcelona, the journey in between is intriguing, says Paul.

“My dad played for fun, as a boy, and he was quite a late starter in terms of getting into the game,” he adds. “He had started his apprenticeship as a structural steel draughtsman before he was signed to Aberdeen, so he had already taken the first steps to having a career outside football.

“It’s lovely to hear people praise my dad, and speaking to those he played with, what comes across is the bond they had with each other.

“One of the most interesting things for me is the relationships between the players in that team. With age, those relationships have changed, but there is still such a depth of feeling between them all.”

He pauses.

“When they were younger men, and their lives were moving at 100 miles an hour, they perhaps didn't have time to reflect upon just how much they meant to each other,” Paul adds. “That’s really what all the anniversary events have been about – and there have been tears in a few eyes, that’s certain. They are a special group.”