Smethurst had an unmistakable look with the Tampa Bay Rowdies — lean and lanky with a bit of a lumbering gait, his hair flopping, his socks always dangling well below his ankles as he ran.

His nickname was perfect.

The Stork.

But in the mind’s eye, when Smethurst played for the Rowdies from 1975-78, he was always finishing. In 65 North American Soccer League games, he had 57 goals (including four in one game), a total greater than Rodney Marsh, Oscar Fabbiani, or Steve Wegerle, the high-scoring peers of his Rowdies era.

Smethurst’s franchise record for career goals lasted 40 years before being surpassed in 2018 by Georgi Hristov. Smethurst was happy to see his mark tumble, knowing that records are almost always made to be broken. Besides, nothing could erase the memories of Smethurst’s impact.

Smethurst scored the first Rowdies outdoor goal ever, taking a pass from John Sissons and finding the net in the 14th minute of a 2-1 victory against the Rochester Lancers in 1975. The Rowdies, even as an expansion team, became NASL champions and Smethurst (18 goals) was the leading scorer.

Before joining the Rowdies, Smethurst began his professional career with Durban FC in his native South Africa, then became a well-established English Premier League player with Chelsea (where he was the first foreign player to win a European Championship) and Millwall.