I never saw Jimmy Greaves play.
I never saw him score hatfuls of goals for Spurs, Chelsea, Milan, West Ham and England.
I never really knew his name from the names of 1966.
I knew Jimmy Greaves from Saint and Greavsie after growing up on Grandstand and World of Sport.
Leeds were in the doldrums, I lived the other end of the country and didn't get to see them and Saint and Greavsie brought football to life. Not just the top of the game, but the quirky stories we know abound in the game.
Their chemistry was brilliant and that was Greavsie to me, a cuddly, funny bloke you held no bad feelings about and looked forward to seeing on Saturday lunchtimes.
You knew he used to be a top player but in those pre internet and YouTube days you no idea of how amazingly good he was.
He brought the beautiful game to the fans of clubs out of the big time, he made it the game for all.
We are amazed at the sheer number of goals Ronaldo and Messi score and feel they are the best, icons of football, but Greaves records on those mud bath pitches stands head and shoulders above all.
Now we can look on the internet and YouTube at those stats and those goals where it's like he hasn't really cut through a defence because its seemed like there must be no defenders there because he made it look so easy, again and again and again and again and again......
I loved Saint and Greavsie and loved Jimmy Greaves just from that silly Saturday lunchtime programme, he just happened to be one of the worlds greatest footballers as well......
I know he had some tough final years, I will always remember his funny shirt wearing, bushy moustache taking the mick out of Saint persona, that is my Greavsie.
So very sad to hear that he has gone and I would like to wish his family and friends long life and best wishes to all the football clubs who were lucky to have the great man play for them.
Rest in Peace Greavsie.
A Leeds fan's tribute to Jimmy Greaves
posted on 20/9/21
13th of the 22 to leave us, sad day for football.
posted on 20/9/21
I think fans of all clubs had a soft spot for Greavsie. Certainly a part of my childhood/early teens with Saint and Greavsie.
You'll probably like this anecdote on this board as well:
I saw them 'live' in Colwyn Bay in April 1992 and Greavsie joked about the title race "What do the two Fergie's have in common? They'll both be without a title in May". One of the Fergie's being Prince Andrew's wife of course.
posted on 20/9/21
Jimmy Greaves in my opinion the greatest goal scorer in English football, of all time.
One cold and frosty evening, a mid week match v Spurs, I was standing on the Lowfields side wondering when Greaves would ever get into the game, into the 2nd half and he received the ball just outside the penalty area, with speed and great dribbling ability he left Norman on his backside, then went around Big Jack, also left him on his backside, passed the ball into the corner of the net at the Scratching Shed end....2 of England's finest defenders picking themselves off the ground....I think Spurs won 1 - 0 or maybe 2 - 1 not sure.
As much as a Leeds fan I hated to see him score, but you could only admire his skill and panache!
As strikers go he was physically slight, not the blunt instrument of modern day main strikers like Haaland, Lukaku, Ronaldo rippling with muscle....but what he didn't have in sheer power, he had speed, instinct and great intelligence around the penalty area.
One thing he did have in common with modern day strikers was he didn't waste energy chasing and closing down defenders, his energy was for the run into position, with a goalscoring chance in the offing.
Most of present day main strikers do very little pressing, watch such as Haaland, hardly breaks sweat, saves all his energy and power for goalscoring, as did many of the great goal scorers down the years.
Jimmy Greaves RIP....a legend in football history!
posted on 20/9/21
5 stars!
posted on 20/9/21
Top tribute, Jonty.
posted on 20/9/21
To anyone of a certain age, whatever club you may support, Jimmy Greaves was a symbol of football at its finest. A talent that never got to shine in that World Cup final, he is nevertheless among the greatest footballers these islands have ever produced. RIP Jimmy.
posted on 20/9/21
Loved reading this, worded excellently and truly personal. He was imo the best goalscorer in the game.
posted on 20/9/21
My earliest memory of football on TV was the Saint and Greavsie show. RIP Jimmy
posted on 20/9/21
44 in 57 for England - International goal per game ratio says it all.
Truly World Class.
posted on 22/9/21
As a young lad attending ER in the 60's and 70's, it was customary to hate the opposing team. On odd occasions though, you sometimes looked forward to seeing certain players, playing for "that lot".....Jimmy Greaves was top of this list, along with Best,(reluctantly), Channon, Marsh, and one or two more.
Trouble was, our defence was so good, they often never got a kick....