Football: FRIVOLOUS FOOTBALL: Smith Passes Up the Opportunity to Even the Score; A Lighter View of the Game by Martyn Ziegler

Beginning of article

Byline: Martyn Ziegler

'And Smith must score...' Those words uttered by BBC radio's Peter Jones in the dying seconds of the 1983 FA Cup final are perhaps the most famous piece of commentary ever to accompany a miss.

Gary Stevens had just made it 2-2 for Brighton with three minutes to go and in the final seconds, Gordon Smith had a glorious chance only for Gary Bailey to save with his legs and earn a replay which Manchester United won.

Smith has spent the last 20 years cursing his place among football's immortals but he had an opportunity to put matters right this week.

Now an agent and BBC pundit, Smith was playing for the Scottish press against …