The Enigmatic Mr. Greaves
- Episode aired Apr 13, 1969
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Jimmy Jimmy
I rate Jimmy Greaves, from what I've seen, as one of the greatest players ever. As far as the British Isles are concerned, I think I'd only rate George Best above him. His flair, talent, bravery, skill and above all ability to score almost at will was exceptional at a time when English club football had lots of striking talent playing in their First Division as it was then known, just consider names like Law, Hunt, Clarke, Jones, Osgood, Astle, Hurst, Royle and others. Not to mention any number of hardened defenders he played against who seemingly had a licence to kick forwards at will.
Jimmy however was the prince of them all and his statistics today make for remarkable reading, close to a goal a game over his career both for club and country and nary a penalty kick amongst them. Perhaps he was mainly a poacher and didn't track back the way players have to do today, but what team wouldn't select a player who could guarantee them 20 - 30 goals a season.
This short contemporary BBC documentary from 1969 seems to be concerned mostly with his exile from the England national team and his supposed spat with the manager Sir Alf Ramsey who had of course led his team to World Cup success on 1966, controversially without playing wingers or, more specifically Greaves. Jimmy however just kept on banging in the goals season after season and being ignored by Ramsey.
One suspects his recorded comments on the subject here, delivered cigarette in hand, are diplomatic although he never did play for England again and indeed within a year or so, his club manager here, the legendary Bill Nicholson, who appears at times to be damning him with faint praise, had transferred the centre-forward to West Ham.
There's nothing here about Greaves' dependency on drink or any input from rival players or managers which would have been welcomed. Still, rather like finding an old newspaper under the carpet, I enjoyed seeing this slight and light snapshot just as his time at his beloved Spurs was coming to an end, although he couldn't have known it at the time.
Filled with a number of match-day clips which actually show Greaves to be quite an industrious player, it does include footage of that amazing goal he scored against Manchester United which has to rank as one of the league's best ever. For that alone this programme is worth watching.
Jimmy however was the prince of them all and his statistics today make for remarkable reading, close to a goal a game over his career both for club and country and nary a penalty kick amongst them. Perhaps he was mainly a poacher and didn't track back the way players have to do today, but what team wouldn't select a player who could guarantee them 20 - 30 goals a season.
This short contemporary BBC documentary from 1969 seems to be concerned mostly with his exile from the England national team and his supposed spat with the manager Sir Alf Ramsey who had of course led his team to World Cup success on 1966, controversially without playing wingers or, more specifically Greaves. Jimmy however just kept on banging in the goals season after season and being ignored by Ramsey.
One suspects his recorded comments on the subject here, delivered cigarette in hand, are diplomatic although he never did play for England again and indeed within a year or so, his club manager here, the legendary Bill Nicholson, who appears at times to be damning him with faint praise, had transferred the centre-forward to West Ham.
There's nothing here about Greaves' dependency on drink or any input from rival players or managers which would have been welcomed. Still, rather like finding an old newspaper under the carpet, I enjoyed seeing this slight and light snapshot just as his time at his beloved Spurs was coming to an end, although he couldn't have known it at the time.
Filled with a number of match-day clips which actually show Greaves to be quite an industrious player, it does include footage of that amazing goal he scored against Manchester United which has to rank as one of the league's best ever. For that alone this programme is worth watching.
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- Lejink
- Feb 6, 2023
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