Comments on: Spurs’ Cult Heroes - Your Memories of Jimmy Greaves…

By: Roger Bond

Roger Bond — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:02:03 +0000

Same as Jim Estall - I always remember the picture in the paper following his fabulous goal against the young Peter Shilton - from behind the goal a picture of Greavesie sliding the ball past Shilton with 4 ( I think ) Leicester players he had dribbled past laying on the gound looking towards goal - with the ‘balloon’ caption “who said he’s finished” The reason I picked this string of comments up was that I’d typed the caption words into Google to see if the picture was around - if anyone has it pls post on Youtube or something! I was also (as a young 13 year old) at the Den for the 3rd round cup game - 40,000 dockers!! the only memory flaw Jim - Alan Gilzean scored the only goal in the replay at a packed WHL.

By: george rusell

george rusell — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:09:42 +0000

went to see spurs play ipswich in sixes not a very good game I said to my mates shall we go home it was 4.30 pm when we got to the car 30.mintures later turned on radio to listen to the scores .first words jimmy greaves scored a 3 late goals we never left a game after that .seen jimmy in his shows if he is near you go and see you will come out happy.

By: Jim Estall

Jim Estall — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:09:25 +0000

The goal against Leicester City where Jimmy dribbled past four defenders before sliding the ball past Peter Shilton had the caption in the Sunday newspaper “Who said he’s finished” and a picture of all of the defenders looking on with Jimmy finishing the job. Like many schoolboys I wanted to be JG when I grew up and even tried to model my goalscoring on the Greaves style. Impossible of course as JG was unique and the greatest footballer of his time. If he was playing today, he would be just as prolific in goal scoring. The only time I didn’t want Jimmy to score was when Millwall played Spurs at the Den in the 67 FA cup and being a lions supporter I panicked every time Jimmy got the ball as a goal seemed inevitable. The game was a draw and in the reply spurs knocked us out and guess who scored for spurs. In 1970-71 when JG was playing for West Ham I went to the Liverpool game at Upton Park to see Jimmy for the last time. He didn’t disappoint and scored a blinding goal. I was standing close to the half way line and watched him close to me pick up the ball. There appeared no danger and in a flash he went past two defenders and when Clemence came out to narrow the angle, Jimmy simply curled the ball round him and it was in the back of the net. Thanks Jimmy.

By: Leicester fan

Leicester fan — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:17:13 +0000

As a Leicester City fan,i can honestly say that the goal he scored that day was the only goal ive ever been pleased to see scored against my team…
i remember the crowd still applauding as they restarted the game.. the picture in the paper the next day of experienced defenders John Sjoberg,Graham Cross and Peter Shilton looking on… all on the floor after trying to stop him said it all…im still to see a better goal

By: Costas Perdikis

Costas Perdikis — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:07:55 +0000

Jimmy Greaves was the player that made me fall in love with football.

By: Peter Curtis

Peter Curtis — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:37:24 +0000

I was lucky enough to see Jimmy’s debut for Chelsea against the spurs.
I said to my dad this wonder boy Greave’s is not that great, as he had hardly touched the ball, no sooner had the words left my lips, when Jimmy seized the ball and proceeded to go past Ryden, then Danny , then Norman and slotted the ball home past Reynolds leaving four spurs players prostrate on the turf, also the Blackpool debut hat trick, people forget he hit the woodwork three times as well, he could with a bit of luck scored six that day.
I have watched football for over fifty years, and have never seen anyone in his league, in fact I doubt if anybody will in the next hundred, Jim was just simply light years ahead of his time.

By: ernie davidson

ernie davidson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:04:38 +0000

I have watched and played the game since 1948 and Jim was/is the finest striker I have ever seen
One of my sons was an apprentice at Southend where Danny Greaves was youth coach and I was lucky enough to meet the great jim, truly a gent and what you saw was what you got
Thank you Jim it was an honour to watch the greatest

By: paul cohen

paul cohen — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:14:06 +0000

I have loads of memories of Grievsy, when he got the ball you could feel the crowd react, as if they knew something could happen, and the great goals were endless. But my favourite memory was a penalty against Chelsea. Bonetti was in goal, Greaves stopped his run up and pointed to Bonetti’s hat and gloves in the corner of the net. And whilst Bonetti went to move them, Greavsie calmly kicked the ball into the opposite corner. Chelsea went mad, Greavsie laughed and the goal stood!! What a character.

By: DLJ

DLJ — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:59:51 +0000

Like many, Jim was my boyhood hero and I started supporting Spurs the instant he signed. I didn’t see the great goal against Leicester, but the newspaper description is etched on my brain. I think there was a flick on by Gilzean after it left Jennings boot. 1968 I think, and wasn’t there a young pretender recently signed for Leicester by the name of Allan Clarke? I was there for the Preston cup game, with all the Spurs fans chanting “Jimmy for England”. He’d just returned from injury and was playing number 7. Cyril almost scored with an almighty drive from the left edge of the penalty area. Bounced back off the post and went for a throw in, I think. Not so hard and Jim would have popped it in.

Imagine what he’d have been like if: 1. he hadn’t smoked; 2. hadn’t boozed so much; 3. had followed modern nutritional advice; 4. hadn’t got hepatitis (he said it cost him a yard of pace); 5. hadn’t got his shin gashed to the bone in the World Cup game against France in 66.

By: Jimmy For England

Jimmy For England — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:26:04 +0000

Jimmy Greaves - my all time football superstar bar none.

Great reading the other memories here - I was there for most of them too. Especially that goal against Leicester (glad some of you can still remember all the minutia - funny how a few seconds decades ago are burned in the brain forever) - probably the greatest goal those of us who saw it will ever see.

When Owens scored THAT goal against Argentina in the World Cup I said to my son - finally, we’ve got another Jimmy Greaves! (Not quite, but close for a while.)

So many memories - basically it was the excitement when he got the ball. You always knew that if Greavsie got put through with half a chance he was going to score, it was inevitable. Of course things have tightened up defensively since then, but they couldn’t stop Jimmy - he’d be even better today with all the training, skills, nutrition (no pre-match roast dinners these days!) and the swervy ball.

And his testimonial when he scored - how fitting that there was a hint of offside! If the Ref had blown that one up he would have been lynched! What a happy crowd that night.

One more memory - Upton Park, night game late 60’s, I had my Spurs colours on. me and my mate leaving the game, I got jumped by a mob of Hammers wankers (20 on 1 and they thought they were hard), my mate legged it (some mate) and I got a right kicking just outside. Worth it thought - Greavsie had scored and we’d won!

What a great 10 years of Jimmy at the Lane, I’ll never forget it. (and all for about a shilling each week!) In the unlikely event Jimmy ever reads this blog (he’s got better things to do no doubt!) - thanks mate, you are my #1 Spurs legend and undoubtedly the greatest goalscorer England’s ever had.