Surprisingly enough for someone who scored so many goals for us, we don't really hear that much talk about Jimmy Greaves.

I'd understand if people disliked him for his stronger (at least in the public eye) affiliation with Tottenham, but I heard on the grapevine that he's a Chelsea boy at heart and he's raised his kids to hate Tottenham.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

I dont know if jimmy is a chelsea boy he dont seem to interested in us and the club dont seem 2 interested in him either he was,nt with us that long anyway. Its not the tottenham thing either because as far as i know the hatered for tottenham begin after the i967 cup final jimmy greaves played for spurs that daythats what i think anyway.

Even the oldest of us on the forum probably never saw Greaves in a blue shirt, but he was a Chelsea boy, was sold against his will which probably affected his view of the club. Loyalty works both ways. As the saying goes "at the end of the day" no matter what shirt he had on he was one hell of a goal scorer.

In agreement with Tim. He never wanted to leave us but we left him little choice.

Read Lauren's profile

http://www.theshedend.com/index.php?showtopic=12250

My dad rates him as the best striker he's ever seen by a mile!

I took my dad and grandad to an evening with Greaves and Ron Harris and was really dissapointed because all Greavsie spoke about was his time at Tottenham, it didn't sway my dad's feelings of him though so he must have been a top bloke as well as a Blue in his day.

I think one of the reasons he doesn't get mentioned much is because he didn't play in the fashionable time for Chelsea.

Greavsie was one of the best forwards ever, his scoring record speaks for itself. He was a young legend at the Bridge, and when he was sold against his wishes it indirectly resulted in Chelsea getting relegated.

Jimmy was an east-end boy, but he always supported Tottenham. Having said that, he was happy at Chelsea, and when it became obvious that he wasn't going to settle in Italy he wanted to return to the Bridge, but for some reason the powers that be at the time weren't interesting in bringing him back.

Ancient though I am, I only ever saw him play against Chelsea, either for Spurs or West Ham. Another thing in his favour is that he rarely played well against Chelsea, Chopper saw to that :D

One more thing - Jimmy was great in Saint & Greavsie, carried the show on his own. I've got loads of respect for the man.

Some great clips posted on the guardian last week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I6T743qWOo

Some great clips posted on the guardian last week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I6T743qWOo

My dad saw him play once, and was hooked - he is the reason I support Chelsea.

His goal record is untouchable! He scored on evey debut he ever made, has one of the best international goals/games ratio's and scored something like 137 goals in his 1st season in the youth team/reserves while at Chelsea.

The last game he ever played for Chelsea he scored 4 goals, I have the programme at home and got him to sign it at an evening with Jimmy Greaves at Epsom racecourse some years ago. He did speak alot about his Spurs days, but was polite, cheeky, gracious and very funny.

His return from Italy to Spurs is also one of the reasons I've been brought up to hate anything Tottenham!

All in all, although I've never seen him play, he has had a maasive effect on who I support and hate, all from a previous generation.

Gutted for him missing the 66 WC Final. On Modern day terms it's like losing Rooney and Heskey scoring a hat-rick if England were to do it SA this summer. The history books don't always give a true reflection, but Greaves scoring record is second to none.

My generation will remember Jimmy from his St and Greavise show, and the popular saying 'It's a funnly Ol' game' - a bubbly personality. I think you'd have to go along way to find someone who didn't like him.

Edited November 5, 200916 yr by BLUENUT

Years Team Apps (Gls)†

1957–1961 Chelsea 157 (124)

1961 AC Milan 12 (9)

1961–1970 Tottenham Hotspur 321 (220)

1970–1971 West Ham United 38 (13)

1975–1976 Brentwood Town

1976–1977 Chelmsford City

1978–1979 Barnet 31 (25)

1959–1967 England 57 (44)

I couldn't find his stats for Brentwood or Chelmsford, but his record speaks for itself.

124 in 157 games for Chelsea - beginning as a 16 year old kid.

44 goals in 57 app's for his country is an amazing strike rate.

Edited November 5, 200916 yr by BLUENUT

My Dad thinks the biggest mistake Chelsea ever made was not re-signing Jimmy when it didn't work out at AC Milan. As I understand it Jimmy was quite keen to return to Chelsea, but we didn't make an offer. Never saw him play, but his goal record is extraordinary.

Agree with Bluebeard about Saint & Greavsie.

I've always found him very amusing on the box, but it's true that he rarely has much to say about us, which is a surprise given his legendary performances in a blue shirt.

His goals to games record is incredible, and puts him in another league to any British striker since games started to be played in colour.

The fact that he missed out on the 1966 WC final probably sent him over the edge into his alcoholism that nearly killed him. He could easily have gone the way of Best.

I lived in the midlands for a few years when he started his TV career alongside Gary Newbon, before pairing up with Ian St John. He was an instant hit and used to make me laugh out loud regularly.

I'm glad to hear a generally positive response.

Which modern player would you say he is most comparable to?

I don't really know because I wasn't around in those days but the impression I get is that Greavsie was almost entirely "just a goalscorer" and I'm not sure if there's a place for that kind of player in the modern game. Don't shoot me, I may be way off the mark here but I think possibly someone like Gary Lineker would have been a close equivalent.

I remember an episode of Saint and Greavsie where they read out a letter from a kid which went something along the lines of, 'My Dad said you had a terrible first touch, couldn't head the ball, and had two left feet. Is that true/'

Greavsie said, 'That's right, I used to stuff the ball up my shirt and run over the line - that is how I got my goals.'

I'm glad to hear a generally positive response.

Which modern player would you say he is most comparable to?

Klinsman (in Italy ) or Van Basten .

I was always told that we have never had a striker since he left fit to lace his boots .

He wasn't similar to those two in style or physique. I's say he was more like Owen at his peak (which didn't last very long) - small, very quick, a bit of a goal hanger. Klinsmann and MVB led the line and held the ball up. Greaves didn't really do that.

I always imagined him as a rocket-charged Owen as well.

I always imagined him as a rocket-charged Owen as well.

My old man (Jimmy was his idol) said several years ago: He's had Owen's blistering pace, and danced round defenders like Zola. He also used to say Robben was like Greaves 'without the bottle'.

He reckons he still hasn't seen anyone quicker than Greaves, running with the ball at full pace! He reckons he used to glide over the pitch when he ran with the ball, a drop of the shoulder could beat 3 defenders.

Jimmy Greaves, legend!

Footballing ability and skill...(sorry about it being Spuds, but there's very few Greavsie footballing clips on YouTube)

Humour...

Assertiveness...

Yeah my old man said pretty much the same as BLUENUT's. Such a shame he went to Tottenham. Did i say a shame? more like criminal! just think what might have been if we'd have had Greavsie in the '60s. with Greavsie and Ossie up front. the entire history of Chelsea Football Club or even of the whole of English football could have been completely totally different!!!

I don't think he was an east end boy well not at 15 anyway

My dad played with him for Middlesex County school boys ( but not sure how far the old boundaries went then)

My dad went to Fulham but left at 20

I met him in Portugal once with my dad - seemed nice enough

Haven't seen enough of him in action to comment on the footie - too young for all that

I don't think he was an east end boy well not at 15 anyway

My dad played with him for Middlesex County school boys ( but not sure how far the old boundaries went then)

My dad went to Fulham but left at 20

I met him in Portugal once with my dad - seemed nice enough

Haven't seen enough of him in action to comment on the footie - too young for all that

I've just had a look at his autobiography "Greavsie" (excellent read, by the way, one of the best football biogs around)

Jimmy Greaves was born in February 1940 in Manor Park, London E12 - which is between Leyton & Ilford, just north of East Ham & Plaistow. The family were bombed out when he was six weeks old, and moved out to Dagenham.

At the age of 10, Jimmy's dad was a tube train driver on the newly extended Central Line, and the family moved to Hainault to be nearer his work. Jimmy continued his schooling at Dagenham though.

At the age of 15, Jimmy had trials for Essex Schoolboys and London Schoolboys. He was spotted by Chelsea scout Jimmy Thompson while playing for Essex Schoolboys, and the rest is fairly common knowledge.

I'm not saying you're wrong, Pudge, maybe Jimmy did play for Middlesex Schools for a while - he just didn't mention it in his book.

I'll ask my dad and see if he got the photo from my Nan before she died I know he still has the velvet maroon cap and its a def a middlesex one and my Dad was born and still lives in Chelsea so I know he didn't play for Essex.

My dad's 72 but I'll ask him again

being a youngster didn't see him or know much about him....but all i hear from my old man is that he was the nuts. so same as the other young ones