George Smith, Bathgate’s best ever footballer, lived opposite us in Ramsay Crescent. He came from a strong Rangers family. Misty Law the bookmaker also lived in Ramsay Crescent. He was known to have Rangers connections. Rangers players used to come to his house and he sent Willie Henderson to Rangers.
Misty Law did not send George Smith to Ibrox. The story that went around was that George was considered to be too timid. So George went to Partick Thistle though he was more than good enough to play for Rangers. He played for Partick Thistle from 1953 till 1964 in which time he scored 125 goals. George worked as a history teacher in Whitburn Academy so he never became a full-time footballer. He also did professional sprinting. When he was selected for the Scotland Tour Party in May 1957 he was finishing his third year of study at the University of Edinburgh. He went along to ask the professor if he could postpone his honours year because he had been selected for the Scotland party. Evidently, the professor said, ‘Which sport is this Smith?’ When George went on this tour he took our autograph book with him so we have the players’ autographs. George Smith was promised a start in the final game against Spain but because we had beaten Germany, team changes were kept to a minimum so he was not selected.
See the CELTICWIKI from April 12th 1960. In this game George scored a hat-trick. A newspaper headline at the time was ‘Celtic Caned by Schoolboy’. Joe Hogan, the Partick Thistle full-back was, like George Smith, a pupil of Bathgate Academy. Joe became captain of the team. George’s cousin, Willie Smith, became Partick Thistle’s goalkeeper.
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Bathgate Old Times 