Jimmy Greaves facts for kids
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Greaves in 1964
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | James Peter Greaves | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 February 1940 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Manor Park, Essex, England | |||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 19 September 2021 (aged 81) | |||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Danbury, Essex, England | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1955–1957 | Chelsea | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1957–1961 | Chelsea | 157 | (124) | |||||||||||||
| 1961 | AC Milan | 10 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 1961–1970 | Tottenham Hotspur | 321 | (220) | |||||||||||||
| 1970–1971 | West Ham United | 38 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 1975–1976 | Brentwood | |||||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Chelmsford City | 38 | (20) | |||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | Barnet | 51 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 1979–1980 | Woodford Town | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 617 | (402) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1957–1962 | England U23 | 12 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 1959–1967 | England | 57 | (44) | |||||||||||||
| 1965 | United Kingdom | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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James Peter Greaves (born 20 February 1940 – died 19 September 2021) was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward, scoring many goals. Many people think he was one of the best strikers ever. He is also one of England's greatest players.
Greaves scored 44 goals for England, making him the fifth-highest international goalscorer. He also holds the English record for six hat-tricks (scoring three goals in one game). For Tottenham Hotspur, he is the joint-highest goalscorer with 268 goals. Greaves is the top goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football with 357 goals. He was the top scorer in the Football League First Division six times, more than any other player. In 1963, he came third in the 1963 Ballon d'Or award. He is also a member of the English Football Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Greaves started his professional career at Chelsea in 1957. He scored 124 goals in just four seasons. In April 1961, he moved to Italian club A.C. Milan for £80,000. His time in Italy was short, and he returned to England in December 1961. Tottenham Hotspur bought him for £99,999.
While at Spurs, he won the FA Cup twice, in 1961–62 and 1966–67. He also won the Charity Shield in 1962 and 1967. In 1962–63, Spurs won the European Cup Winners' Cup. He never won a league title, but he helped Spurs finish second in 1962–63. In March 1970, he moved to West Ham United and retired from top-level football the next year. After a four-year break, he played for non-league teams like Brentwood, Chelmsford City, Barnet, and Woodford Town before retiring for good in 1980.
Greaves scored 13 goals in 12 games for the England under-23 team. He scored 44 goals in 57 games for the senior England team between 1959 and 1967. He played in the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cup. However, he got injured in the 1966 World Cup group stage. Geoff Hurst took his place and played in the final. England won the World Cup, but Greaves did not get his medal until 2009. He was also part of the squad that finished third in UEFA Euro 1968.
After his playing career, Greaves became a successful broadcaster. He was well-known for co-hosting Saint and Greavsie with Ian St John from 1985 to 1992. He also appeared regularly on TV-am.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Chelsea Years: 1957-1961
Greaves was born in Manor Park and grew up in Hainault, Essex. Chelsea scouted him when he was a schoolboy. In 1955, he joined Chelsea as an apprentice. He was part of "Drake's Ducklings," named after manager Ted Drake. He quickly impressed in youth football, scoring 51 goals in 1955–56 and 122 goals in 1956–57.
Greaves scored in the 1958 FA Youth Cup final. However, Chelsea lost the final to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He became a professional player in the summer of 1957.
 Most First Division Goals in England |
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| Player | Goals | Matches | Goals/matches |
| Jimmy Greaves | 357 | 516 |
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| Steve Bloomer | 314 | 535 |
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| Dixie Dean | 310 | 362 |
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| Gordon Hodgson | 288 | 455 |
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| Alan Shearer | 283 | 559 |
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At 17, Greaves scored in his First Division debut. This was on 24 August 1957 against Tottenham Hotspur. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. He was an instant success. The News Chronicle newspaper praised his ball control and confidence. Greaves finished the 1957–58 season as Chelsea's top scorer. He had 22 goals in 37 games.
In the 1958–59 season, Greaves scored five goals in a 6–2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He ended the season as the First Division's top scorer. He scored 32 goals in 44 league games. In the 1959–60 season, he scored 29 goals in 40 league matches. Five of these goals came in a 5–4 win over Preston North End.
During the 1960–61 season, Greaves scored many goals. He got hat-tricks against Wolves, Blackburn Rovers, and Manchester City. He scored four goals against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest. He even scored five goals in a 7–1 win over West Bromwich Albion. His hat-trick against Manchester City on 19 November was his 100th league goal. This made him the youngest player to reach 100 goals, at 20 years and 290 days old.
Greaves felt unhappy at Chelsea because the team often conceded many goals. They were not consistent enough to win the league title. His last game for Chelsea was on 29 April 1961. He was captain for the day and scored his 13th hat-trick for the club. He scored all four goals in a 4–3 win against Nottingham Forest. This brought his total for the season to a club record 41 goals in 40 league games. He was the division's top scorer that season.
Moving to AC Milan
In June 1961, Italian club AC Milan signed Greaves for £80,000. He signed a three-year contract. Greaves was not happy about leaving London. He tried to cancel the move, but it was too late. He scored on his debut in a 2–2 draw with Botafogo.
However, he did not get along with the new coach, Nereo Rocco. Rocco had a very strict training plan. Greaves scored nine goals in 14 games, including one in the Milan derby against Inter Milan. Because he was unhappy, Milan decided to sell him. Both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea offered £96,500, and both offers were accepted. After he left, AC Milan went on to win the league title in 1961–62.
Tottenham Hotspur Success: 1961-1970
Bill Nicholson signed Greaves for Tottenham Hotspur in December 1961. The fee was £99,999. This unusual amount was to avoid him being the first £100,000 player in British football. He joined Spurs just after they won both the First Division and the FA Cup.
Greaves scored a hat-trick on his first team debut. This included a flying scissor kick. Spurs won 5–2 against Blackpool. He played in all seven games of the club's FA Cup run. He scored nine goals in the competition. Spurs reached the 1962 FA Cup Final against Burnley. Greaves scored the first goal after just three minutes. Spurs won the game 3–1. They finished third in the league in 1961–62.
Greaves scored twice in the 1962 FA Charity Shield. Spurs won the trophy 5–1 against Ipswich. In the 1962–63 season, Greaves scored hat-tricks against Manchester United, Ipswich, and Liverpool. He also scored four goals in a 9–2 win over Nottingham Forest. Spurs finished second in the league. Greaves scored 37 goals in 41 league games, making him the top scorer again.
In the European Cup Winners' Cup, Tottenham reached the final. They played against Spanish club Atlético Madrid. Greaves scored the first goal and later added a fourth. Spurs won 5–1. This made Tottenham Hotspur the first British team to win a European trophy.
Manager Bill Nicholson started to change the team. Key players like Danny Blanchflower and John White left or retired. Greaves continued to score many goals. In the 1963–64 season, Greaves scored hat-tricks in several games. Spurs finished fourth in the league. Greaves scored 35 goals in 41 league games, again finishing as the top scorer. He formed a strong partnership with new signing Alan Gilzean.
Spurs finished sixth in 1964–65. Greaves scored 29 goals in 41 league games. He was the division's joint top scorer. He also scored two hat-tricks in the FA Cup. He missed three months of the 1965–66 season due to illness. Despite this, he scored 16 goals in 31 matches. He remained the club's top scorer.
Greaves scored 31 goals in 47 games in the 1966–67 season. He helped Spurs challenge for the title, finishing third. They also won the FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2–1 in the final. Greaves was the competition's leading scorer with six goals. The 1967–68 season was not as good for Spurs. Greaves still scored 29 goals in 48 games, making him the club's top scorer.
In 1968–69, Greaves scored 27 goals in 42 league games. This was the sixth and final time he was the First Division's leading scorer. He scored four goals in one match against Sunderland. His goals for the season made him Spurs' all-time top goalscorer. He also passed Steve Bloomer as the First Division's top goalscorer with 336 goals.
In the 1969–70 season, Greaves was dropped from the first team. He still ended the season as the club's joint top scorer with 11 goals. He finished his Spurs career with 268 goals in 381 games. This is a joint-club record. He also scored 15 hat-tricks, another club record.
West Ham United and Later Career
In March 1970, Greaves joined West Ham United. He was part of a player exchange deal. He scored two goals on his debut for West Ham. This was in a 5–1 win against Manchester City.
Greaves struggled with his fitness and motivation at West Ham. He felt he had lost his passion for the game. His final game was on 1 May 1971. He scored 13 goals in 40 games for West Ham. His final season in the First Division brought his total to a record 357 goals. Including his goals at AC Milan, he scored 366 goals in the top five European leagues. This record lasted until 2017.
After leaving West Ham, Greaves took a break from football. He later returned to play at a lower level. He played for his local team, Brentwood, in 1975. His return was successful. He then signed for Chelmsford City in 1976. He played 38 times and scored 20 goals.
In August 1977, Greaves joined Barnet. He played from midfield and scored 25 goals in the 1977–78 season. He was named their player of the season. He later made appearances for Woodford Town before retiring for good in 1980.
Playing for England
Greaves played his first game for the England under-23 team in 1957. He scored two goals in a 6–2 win against Bulgaria.
He earned his first England cap on 17 May 1959 against Peru. He scored England's only goal in a 4–1 defeat. He scored hat-tricks in October 1960 against Northern Ireland and Luxembourg. On 15 April 1961, Greaves scored another hat-trick in a 9–3 win over Scotland at Wembley.
He played in all four of England's games at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. He scored one goal in a 3–1 win over Argentina. During a game against Brazil, a stray dog ran onto the pitch. Greaves got down on all fours to call the dog. The Brazilian player Garrincha found it so funny that he took the dog home.
| Most Goals for England |
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| Player | Goals | Matches | Goals/matches |
| Wayne Rooney | 53 | 120 |
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| Harry Kane* | 53 | 80 |
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| Bobby Charlton | 49 | 106 |
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| Gary Lineker | 48 | 80 |
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| Jimmy Greaves | 44 | 57 |
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| * Harry Kane still active (10 December 2022) | |||
On 20 November 1963, he scored four goals in an 8–3 win over Northern Ireland. The next year, he scored another hat-trick against the same team. This made him England's all-time top goalscorer with 35 goals. He scored four goals again on 29 June 1966. This was in a 6–1 friendly win over Norway. This ensured him a starting place in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.
At the 1966 World Cup, he played all three group games. However, in the game against France, he was injured. His shin was badly cut, needing 14 stitches. Geoff Hurst replaced him for the quarter-final. Hurst scored the only goal and kept his place for the rest of the tournament. England won the World Cup, but only the 11 players on the field at the end received medals. In 2009, after a campaign, Greaves was given his medal.
Greaves played only three more times for England after the 1966 World Cup. He scored one goal. His final cap was in a 1–0 win over Austria on 27 May 1967. At that time, he was England's all-time top goalscorer. However, Bobby Charlton passed his record the following year. Greaves retired from international football in 1968. In total, he scored 44 goals in 57 games for England. He holds the record for most hat-tricks for England, with six.
How He Played
Greaves was a very good goalscorer. He was known for being calm and confident. He was also very fast and had great acceleration. He had excellent positioning skills and was a clinical finisher. He was also a skilled dribbler.
Life After Football
Greaves became a columnist for The Sun newspaper in 1979. He wrote his column until 2009. He then worked as a columnist for The Sunday People. He also worked as a football expert on TV. He co-presented Saint and Greavsie with Ian St John from 1985 to 1992. This was a very popular Saturday lunchtime football show. He also worked on other sports programmes on ITV.
He released his autobiography, Greavsie, in 2003. Greaves also wrote many books with his friend, journalist Norman Giller.
Personal Life
Greaves married Irene Barden in 1958. They had five children. One son, Jimmy Jr, died before his first birthday. Their son Danny also became a professional footballer.
Greaves had various business interests. He even took part in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally. He drove a Ford Escort and finished sixth.
In February 2012, Greaves had a mild stroke. He recovered fully. In May 2015, he had a severe stroke. This left him unable to speak. He was in intensive care and had a slow recovery. He was discharged from the hospital a month later. In February 2016, he was recovering slowly and using a wheelchair.
Greaves was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2021. This was for his services to football. He received this honor along with Ron Flowers, another 1966 World Cup squad winner. They were the last two surviving England players from the 1966 World Cup to be honored by Queen Elizabeth II.
Jimmy Greaves passed away at his home on 19 September 2021, at the age of 81. His death happened on the same day as a Premier League match between Tottenham and Chelsea. Both clubs held a minute of applause to remember him.
Honours
A.C. Milan
- Serie A: 1961–62
Tottenham Hotspur
- FA Cup: 1961–62, 1966–67
- FA Charity Shield: 1962, 1967 (shared)
- European Cup Winners Cup: 1962–63
- Football League First Division runner-up: 1962–63
England
- FIFA World Cup: 1966
- British Home Championship: 1959–60 (shared), 1960–61, 1963–64 (shared), 1964–65, 1965–66; runner-up: 1962–63, 1966–67
Individual
- Ballon d'Or third place: 1963
Images for kids
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Jimmy Greaves and England teammate Bobby Charlton in December 1964
See Also
In Spanish: Jimmy Greaves para niños
- List of English football first tier top scorers
- List of footballers in England by number of league goals
- List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals
