Sir John Wilson Smith is the former chairman (1973–1990) of Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

.

Liverpool FC

John Smith was chairman of Liverpool Football Club for 17 years from 1973 and during this period they embarked on their most successful era. By the time he stepped down in 1990, the club had amassed eleven Football League championships, four European Cups

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, two UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

s and three FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

s. He first joined the Liverpool board in 1971 as a director and ran the club in tandem with long time club secretary Peter Robinson. Smith was a stout defender of The Boot Room

The Boot Room

The Liverpool Boot Room was a room at Anfield, home of Liverpool F.C., during the 1960s - early 1990s where the coaching staff would sit, drink whisky and discuss the team, tactics and ways of defeating the next opposing side....

 system of promoting managers from within the club, he appointed assistant manager Bob Paisley

Bob Paisley

Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...

 to succeed Bill Shankly

Bill Shankly

William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...

 in 1974 and followed this by appointing Paisley's assistant Joe Fagan

Joe Fagan

Joe Fagan was an English football manager best known for being manager of Liverpool F.C. from 1983 to 1985.- Career:Joe Fagan's playing career was largely spent at Manchester City for whom he signed in 1938...

 to manager in 1983. The appointment of club centre forward Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish

Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...

to player manager in 1985 broke away from the line of succession but heralded in another period of unbroken success. Dalglish had been signed as a player by Smith in 1977 and was described as "the best we ever had". Smith also played a pivotal role in the acceptance of shirt sponsorship in British football.

Quotations

• “We’re a very very modest club. We don’t talk. We don’t boast. But we’re very professional”
• "There is something they call, The Liverpool Way"
• "The ground was not good enough for an ordinary match, let alone a final."