Death of Jimmy Greaves: 1940-2021

It's 50 years to the day that Jimmy Greaves made his debut for Spurs. Just the three goals in his first match against Blackpool, including a scissor-kick first in a 5-2 win. I was stuck away at boarding school, but my dad and brother were there. I had to make do with a first sighting the following the week when Jimmy hardly had a kick and Spurs lost 2-1 to....Arsenal.
  But I was lucky enough to see him get loads of goals over the years, including a couple of crackers against Leicester City (first against Banks, the second against Shilton) when he seemed to beat the entire defence before scoring.
  He may not have been Spurs greatest player, but he was certainly their best goalscorer. Any else with Jimmy memories?

Sir Fred,

I was fortunate enough to see Jimmy Greaves play a couple of times for Spurs in the late 1960s (against Coventry City at Highfield Road). He splendidly partnered the almost as excellent Alan Gilzean .

I also saw him play once for West Ham at the start of the '70s (same opposition, same venue). Not just with hindsight, age and other matters were then catching up with him. Nonetheless, it was still a privilege to watch him. Sadly, for him, goals never came either that day or hardly at all at West Ham. Mind you, that was the only place they didn't!

I actually met Jimmy Greaves at a book signing in Holborn about five years ago and it was a delight.

To put the time in context, it was just a few days before George Best died. I saw Greaves being interviewed about Best in the store by a tv reporter shortly before the signing session and I briefly mentioned how well I thought he had spoken when I went to have my book signed. Unlike what you might expect of many in his position, Greaves was clearly interested and asked what had particularly caught my attention. He then proceeded to tell me more about Best and his hopes for him - along the lines of ''George has surprised all his life, he might still do so'' (sadly not to be the case). Greaves seemed genuinely happy and keen just to chat.

Jimmy Greaves - a very good and under rated footballer, the greatest English goal scorer in my lifetime and a lovely man.

G'bat. Ta for that. I did meet Jimmy. They say never meet your idols, but he was very charming and signed an autograph for me. Of his era, he was probably the most exciting player along with the immortal United trio of Best, Law and Charlton.
I thing older Spurs fans would put him high up their all-time list that's probably headed by Dave Mackay, with Blanchflower in there along with Pat Jennings. Historians, who will have to make do now that all the fans of that era are dead, could plump for the likes of Jimmy Dimmock, Arthur Grimsdell and Jimmy Seed (who lives on at The Valley in the shape of a stand, I think).
But doubt there'll ever be another goalscorer quite like Jimmy. His 220 league goals record for Spurs is safe, I guess.

Thanks, Sir Fred.

Of the eras and players you mention, Bobby Smith was also highly regarded. I think that's deserved although I concede much of his playing career was before my time and he was never on a par with Greaves.

There'll be plenty more 50-year anniversaries coming up for Spurs fans over the next few months, as the Double side managed to carry on with formidable feats in 1962 and 1963.
Not least will be the April 2012 50th anniversary of the European Cup Benfica match and the 62 cup final v Burnley and the 63 Cup Winners' Cup triumph.
Nice for the new generation of Tottenham fans to have some decent football to watch over the last few seasons and not have to rely on the tales of derring-do from far-off times.

Nearer to 60 years on now and Jimmy Greaves is in hospital. The reason has not been specified although it doesn't appear to be coronavirus. However, he's been in ill health since suffering a stroke five years ago.

Rooting for you Jimmy. A great goal scorer and a lovely man.

Only saw Greaves a few times, each time for Spurs was in partnership with Gilzean. But looking at some old footage found a newsreel of a Spurs thrashing of Gornik (remember them?!). And that included a goal from John White who I never saw - thoughts on White, Sir Fred?


Saw Greaves a few times for West Ham, past his best but still a goal scorer. Remember those 60's / 70's definitions?
Greaves is a great goalscorer.
Charlton is a scorer of great goals.


Understand Norman Hunter is in a spot of COVID trouble . . . . . . . .

Talking of the 1966 WC bench, with Greaves & Hunter, there are reports that The Cat, Peter Bonetti has passed away. Thought he'd live forever he always seemed so fit.

Gordon Banks must have looked at his England caps and thought Peter Bonetti deserved many of them. An all-time great who also overlapped for a few games with Jimmy Greaves at Chelsea.

Hi Kwini - Pele reported as saying that the three best keepers he saw were Gordon Banks, Lev Yashin and Peter Bonetti.

Without meaning to be disrespectful, I'm surprised by that. I wouldn't have thought that Pele would have seen Bonetti much at all.

Anyway, The Cat was a very fine keeper without doubt. As you suggest, unlucky not to gain more England caps.

And now Norman Hunter joins Peter Bonetti in the great stadium in the sky.

Hard as nails but a more skillful player than those, such as Smith and Harris, usually mentioned in the same breath.

I'll need to check but around half the '66 World Cup must no longer be with us.

Sad news indeed.
I think you have it spot on guildford, but I think only 9 or 10 of the 1970 are still with us.
I'm getting old . . . . . . .

I enjoyed reding all your thoughts.

Didn't realise that a topic I began more than nine years ago was still going strong - like Jimmy, who is now 81.

My forecast of no one getting near Jimmy's 220 league goals record for Spurs looks a bit off now - the rate Harry Kane is going at.

I did see John White play. He looked frail and unathletic. But he could really play. I recall the shock of hearing of his death aged just 26.

Sad that a number of top footballers were lost to us last year, with Colin Bell, another great player, also dying in early January.

Just four remain from the Spurs 60-61 Double team - Cliff Jones, Les Allen, Terry Dyson and Maurice Norman. Jones is particularly sprightly and two other old Tottenham colleagues of Jimmy's - Tony Marchi and Terry Medwin - are happily still with us.

Sad news today of the loss of Greavsie's broadcast partner Ian St John at age 82.

Jimmy has gone. His death, aged 81, was announced today. Very sad news but he had been quite poorly for some while.

I was lucky enough to see him play a lot for Spurs in the 1960s. I reckoned I saw him get around 60 goals for Tottenham out of a total of 266 for the club and 357 League goals in all.

He was a wonderful player. He was not just a great goalscorer but everything about him was class. He was two footed, quick, could dribble and despite a slight frame he was very difficult to knock off the ball.

Jimmy never bothered going down over the goalkeeper's arms to get a penalty. He would go round the keeper and then angle the ball into the empty net.

He had an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. He seemed to know exactly where to go to be in a position to score.

Some of his goals were breathtaking. There were two against Leicester at Tottenham, one scored against Gordon Banks, the other against Peter Shilton, where he seemed to take on and beat the entire defence.

Sadly, neither of these gems was filmed.....but I was there and can see them in my mind's eye still.

Goal compilations on social media today include the famous one v Man U when he dribbled thru at speed in a 5-1 victory in 1965.

I couldn't believe how lucky we were hen Tottenham had signed him. He'd been a teenage sensation at Chelsea but had never settled at Milan.

I still envy my brother who saw Jimmy's Spurs debut v Blackpool in Dec. 1961 when he got a hat-trick. I was still stuck at boarding school. Luckily there were plenty of Greaves goals for me to see after that.

His ending for Tottenham was sad. He got dropped and then shunted off to West Ham where despite a two-goal debut start he never really got going.

There was a time with Barnet but drink was now a big problem for him. To his credit he overcame alcoholism and became a huge hit on TV with the Saint and Greavesie show.

Younger fans will remember his TV days. We older ones will remember a great player.